Normal Grief Responses

 

Because grief can be so painful and seem overwhelming, it frightens us. Many people who are in a grief situation seem to wonder if they are grieving in the ‘right’ way and wonder if the feelings they have are normal. Most people who suffer a loss experience one or more of the following symptoms:

·                 Tightness in the throat or heaviness in the chest 
·                 Empty feeling in the stomach and loss of appetite 
·                 Feeling guilty and/or angry at times 
·                 Feeling restless and looking for activity, but finding it difficult to concentrate 
·                 Feeling as though the loss isn’t real, that it didn’t actually happen 
·                 Sensing the loved one’s presence, hearing their voice, seeing their face, 
expecting to see the person walk in the door as usual 
·                 Wander aimlessly 
·                 Misplace personal items, i.e., keys, glasses, wallet, etc. 
·                 Forget what they’re doing or where they’re going 
·                 Don’t finish things they’ve started around the house 
·                 Experience an intense preoccupation with the life of the deceased 
·                 Assume mannerisms or traits of their loved one 
·                 Feel guilty or angry over things that happened or didn’t happen in the 
relationship with the deceased 
·                 Feel intensely angry at the loved one for leaving them 
·                 Feel as though they need to take care of other people who seem uncomfortable 
around them, by politely not talking about their feelings of loss 
·                 Need to tell, retell and remember things about the loved one and the experience of their death 
·                 Feel their mood change over the slightest things 
·                 Cry at unexpected times

 

 

(Simplified Chinese Translation)

 

• 正常的悲傷反應

   

  由于悲傷情緒令人痛苦幷且難以抑制，我們對其感到畏懼。許多人對身處悲傷處境而感到疑惑：他們的悲傷方式是否“妥當”以及他們的悲傷情緒是否正常。大多數人經歷親人離去的喪痛會有以下一項或多項症狀：

  • 咽喉緊或者胸部沉重

   

  • 胃部空虛，但沒有食欲
  • 時常有負罪感和/或憤怒

   

  • 煩躁不安，想做點什麼，但又無法集中精力
  • 感覺親人逝去不真實，好像並沒有發生似的。

   

  • 感到親人還在身邊，同時聽到他們的聲音，看到他們的面孔，
  • 希望親人還在屋子裏象往常一樣走動

   

  • 漫無目的地遊蕩
  • 亂放個人物品，如鑰匙、眼鏡、錢包等。

   

  • 忘記他們正在做什麽事或者要去什麽地方
  • 中斷他們在房子周圍已經開始做的事

   

  • 沉迷于逝去親人的生活
  • 效仿逝去親人的音容笑貌、行爲等特徵

   

  • 對發生在或未發生在與逝去親人有關的事有負罪感或感到憤怒
  • 對親人離開自己感到异常憤怒

   

  • 感到自己似乎應該有禮貌地回避討論對親人逝去的感受而照顧其他感覺不適的人的情緒。
  • 感到有必要講述、重複並記住與親人有關的事以及親人逝去的過程。

   

  • 感到即使是對待最微不足道的事，他們的情緒也會起變化
  • 在出其不意的時候痛哭。