Griefs Impact on Mental Health

You may be reading this because your life was recently turned upside down due to an unimaginable loss. You might have experienced the death of a close loved one or an unwanted ending to a romantic relationship. 

Or perhaps you have a close friend or family member who is suffering through overwhelming grief and you’re not sure how to help them.

Grief is an awful life experience that is shared by many. However, because grieving is highly personal and different for each person, it often feels like a lonely process for those who are going through it.

In this article, we will explore what grief is and its impact on mental health. We will also learn ways to cope with grief and when it’s time to seek professional mental health treatment.

What Is Grief?

Grief is the collection of emotions we experience when dealing with loss. What we grieve and how we grieve is deeply personal. Some common events that may prompt grieving include:

• The death of a family member, friend, or pet.
• Inability to achieve a dream or goal.
• A marriage or friendship ending.
• Losing or miscarrying a child.
• Losing a job or career.
• Declining health.

While everyone responds differently to death and loss, the grieving that occurs typically happens in stages. While there is no set timeline, grief is usually resolved within two years of the loss.

What Are the 5 Stages of Grief?

A well-respected psychiatrist and researcher, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross was the first to describe the grief process as occurring in five specific stages¹:

• Denial is when we refuse to believe that a loved one has passed away or we refuse to acknowledge a loss. This may involve distracting from the loss by using work or other activities.
• Anger occurs when we blame others for what has happened. Or we may be angry with ourselves about what we perceive to be our role in the loss.
• Bargaining is when we look at the loss in hindsight. We develop a belief based on fantasy that we could have prevented the loss.
• Depression happens when we recognize the reality of the loss. We tend to have intense feelings like sadness, hopelessness, or confusion.
• Acceptance is when we fully accept the reality of the loss. This is when we begin to learn how to live with the loss.²

While the grieving process typically involves all of these stages, bereavement is not a linear process where we move from one stage to the next. Some of us may remain in certain stages of grief for longer periods of time, or we may return to stages that we had previously moved through. 

How Can Grief Affect Your Mental Health?

Everyone experiences grief differently. So, whatever your experience of grief is, know that it’s normal. It’s common to feel intense feelings or nothing at all, for a little while. It may take you longer to get to certain stages of grief than others around you, and that’s okay, too. We all grieve at our own pace.

Losing a loved one causes us to adjust to a new reality, and this can have a big psychological impact on us. As a result, this emotional experience can have a significant impact on our mental health. 

Some mental health conditions that are associated with grief and bereavement include:

• Depression: Several symptoms of depression, such as sadness, changes in appetite, and difficulties sleeping, are all normal while you’re grieving, too. Often, what we call “normal” grief (that is, grief that isn’t complicated—more on this next) does not result in clinical depression, albeit painful and distressing.³ 
• Prolonged Grief Disorder: While the sadness of the loss of a loved one never disappears entirely, it does typically become less intense with time. However, for some people, overwhelming grief persists, continuing to significantly affect their day-to-day lives. This is called prolonged grief disorder.⁴
• Anxiety: Anxiety is another common mental health condition that bereavement affects. When you lose a loved one, you lose a big part of your life, and this can elevate anxiety in both adults and children.⁵
• Disordered Sleeping: Sleep changes are normal when you’re grieving someone you love. Research shows that being unable to sleep (insomnia) or experiencing changes in sleep quality are common when you’re grieving.⁶  
• Physical Illnesses: Physical illnesses such as high blood pressure or heart issues are commonly associated with grief. Studies suggest that many of the physical changes we see after a significant bereavement are due to a so-called “broken heart”, more scientifically known as psychological distress and loneliness.⁷ 
• Substance Abuse: Misuse of alcohol, nicotine, or marijuana often goes hand-in-hand with debilitating grief such as prolonged grief disorder. Those struggling with bereavement may turn to substances as a desperate attempt to cope with their difficult feelings. However, it’s important to know that this can lead to more psychological and physical distress in the long run.⁸ 

After experiencing a loss, it’s important to monitor the intensity and duration of your or your loved one’s grief. Seeking professional mental health treatment may be needed if the grief begins to significantly impact daily functioning and overall well-being. There is no shame in seeking help, and sometimes we need extra support to help us resolve our grief.

What Are the Symptoms of Grief Trauma?

Grief trauma involves having a traumatic reaction to the death of a loved one.⁹ The death is usually sudden or unexpected and caused by an accident, violence, or unknown health condition. Grief trauma is more intense than typical grief and the symptoms interfere with daily functioning.

Someone who is dealing with grief trauma may show symptoms such as:

• Isolating or avoiding certain people or places who remind them of their loss.
• Shock, confusion, or denying that the loss has happened.
• Numbness, emptiness, or feeling detached from reality.
• Hopelessness about their life and their future.
• Wishing they had died with their loved one.
• Not trusting others around them.
• Anger about being left behind.

If you or someone you love has been experiencing symptoms of grief trauma for over six months, this is an indicator that it’s time to seek professional mental health treatment. By asking for help, we can begin to work on healing our trauma and resolve our grief in a healthy way.

What Does Grief Depression Feel Like?

As previously mentioned, depression is a part of the grieving process. Sometimes, however, the intensity of the grief depression can greatly impact our functioning. Someone who is experiencing grief depression may show symptoms such as: 

• Unable to make decisions or not able to concentrate
• Physical issues like body aches or upset stomach
• Sleeping too much or not getting enough sleep
• Feeling lost or directionless about their life
• Uncontrollable or unpredictable crying
• Not eating enough or eating too much
• Isolating themselves¹⁰

Grief depression can become clinical depression if it’s extended over a prolonged period of time.¹¹ In these instances, it’s important to seek mental health support.

How to Cope With Overwhelming Grief

It can take time before we’re ready to fully accept death or loss, and sometimes the grief we experience can feel overwhelming. If you or a loved one is struggling with overwhelming grief, there are steps you can take to help with healing.

• Know that healing from grief takes time. Be patient with yourself. There is no specific time frame for when you should be done grieving.

• Allow yourself to feel all of your emotions. This is true even for the painful or hurtful ones. Let yourself cry without feeling ashamed or embarrassed.

• Do your best every day to take care of simple tasks. Even on days when you feel like you don’t have enough energy, it’s important to still wake up, get out of bed, take a shower, and eat regular meals.

• Take care of yourself physically and emotionally. Do simple things like follow a set sleep schedule, exercise, and eat healthy foods.

• Stay in touch with people who support you. As you work through your grief, it’s normal to need some time alone. However, your support network can help remind you of the positive things that you still have in your life.

• Reach out for mental health support. A qualified mental health provider will offer you professional, unbiased, and non-judgemental help, and they can become an important part of your support network.

Final Word on How Grief Affects Your Mental Health

Remember that you are not alone in your grief. Perhaps as you read this article, you recognize some indicators that it’s time for you or your loved one to seek professional mental health treatment.

The good news is that safe and supportive help is readily available. The mental health professionals at Mission Connection Healthcare personalize therapy options to best meet the needs of each client experiencing overwhelming grief or grief trauma. Our outpatient and telehealth programs are ideal for those who need a helping hand without wanting to travel away from home to get the support they need. 

We’re also readily available on our Mission Connection Healthcare support line, so reach out to us if you need us. We’ll gladly offer confidential support, advice, and information about our treatment center, resources, and services. 

Remember that you’re not alone if you are experiencing mental health difficulties while grieving. Let us help you at Mission Connection Healthcare. Contact us today.

References

1. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation. (2024, December). Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Biography. https://www.ekrfoundation.org/elisabeth-kubler-ross/
2. Cleveland Clinic. (2022, March 21). The 5 stages of grief after a loss. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/5-stages-of-grief
3. Zisook, S., & Shear, K. (2009). Grief and bereavement: what psychiatrists need to know. World Psychiatry, 8(2), 67–74. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2051-5545.2009.tb00217.x
4. Okun, B. & Nowinski, J. (2012, March 21). Can grief morph into depression? Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-grief-morph-into-depression-201203214511
5. Shear, M. K., & Skritskaya, N. A. (2012). Bereavement and anxiety. Current psychiatry reports, 14(3), 169–175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-012-0270-2
6. Monk, T. H., Germain, A., & Reynolds, C. F. (2008). Sleep disturbance in bereavement. Psychiatric Annals, 38(10). https://doi.org/10.3928/00485713-20081001-06
7. Stroebe, M., Schut, H., & Stroebe, W. (2007). Health outcomes of bereavement. The Lancet, 370(9603), 1960–1973. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(07)61816-9
8. Parisi, A., Sharma, A., Howard, M. O., & Blank Wilson, A. (2019). The relationship between substance misuse and complicated grief: A systematic review. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 103, 43–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2019.05.012
9. Neria, Y., & Litz, B. T. (2004). Bereavement by traumatic means: The complex synergy of trauma and grief. Journal of Loss & Trauma, 9(1), 73–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325020490255322
10. Cleveland Clinic. (2023, February 22). Grief. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24787-grief
11. Jordan, A.H. & Litz, B.T. (2014, April 4). Prolonged Grief Disorder: Diagnostic, Assessment, and Treatment Considerations. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 45(3), 180–187. https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/pro-a0036836.pdf