by Margo Bastos

Bereavement and loss will come to all of us at some time in our lives. Many people are losing jobs, homes and other securities in today’s world. It really helps us to cope with bereavement if we are able to recognise the feelings as being normal in the circumstances.

9 Symptoms of Bereavement Stress

1. Lack of Sleep or Interrupted Sleep You lie awake for hours and are not able to fall asleep OR you wake up regularly during the night. Maybe you wake up in the early hours of the morning and are not able to go back to sleep. This leaves you feeling tired and listless for the rest of the day.
2. Restlessness You find it difficult to calm your mind from the ongoing turmoil that you are going through and are not able to “switch off”.
3. Tearfulness You might find yourself wanting to cry a lot. This is not a bad thing as crying is an outlet for emotions and built up tension. However, excessive crying is a definite sign of uncontrolled stress.
4. Lack of interest Those things that previously seemed important to you now seem to fall by the wayside.
5. Inability to Cope Even those ordinary daily chores, like shopping and cooking etc seem like a major obstacle to overcome.
6. Panic attacks or feelings of anxiety. During a time of bereavement so many unfamiliar emotions are released and sometimes you might think that you are ‘loosing it’ or that something bad might happen to you.
7. Preoccupied all the time. You are so preoccupied with thoughts of your lost one that you might even start to imagine seeing or smelling them.
8. Exhaustion Exhaustion is the culmination of all the above.
9. Irritability Even your best friend, the dog, who you never shout at, might irritate you and trivial things start getting you down.

Feeling abnormal after loss or big changes in your life is normal. Don’t feel ashamed or as if something is wrong with you. It will pass, but, in the meantime – Get help!!