Dealing With Grief During a Pandemic

During this crazy season in our lives, there will be times when many of us feel an unexplainable sadness. There will be times that we do not feel like doing anything and will shut away. Some of us will have difficulty sleeping. We will experience some times where we have unexplainable anger. And we will wonder what is going on?

What we’re dealing with is grief

The answer to what is going on is this. We are grieving. As a planet, we are in collective grief for so many reasons. Some of us are experiencing anticipatory grief. It is the sadness, anger, expression, and sense of loss that occurs when we know something is about to happen. It is the grief that I experienced as my mother was in dealing with stage four cancer and I knew that she was nearing the end of her journey. There was a time that I sat at her house, with no one present, and just cried and cried. I knew what was happening. In many ways, I was powerless to stop it. So, I cried.

Grief during the pandemic

In this pandemic, some of us are experiencing anticipatory grief. We are grieving the potential loss of life, personally and collectively. Some of us have loved ones who are sick. Some are on respirators. And, some are clinging onto life. We do not know what to do. There is sadness, anger, and unexplainable hurt.

Many of us have experienced loss

Some of us are grieving the loss of income. Jobs that are now gone. Bills that cannot be paid. Businesses that we worked our entire lives are now closed. We are worried about whether we will be able to buy food or medicine. And we sit in sadness, at times almost paralyzed.

Loss of connection

Some of us are grieving the loss of connection. We can’t go and see our parents, our spouses, and our loved ones who are in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Some of us can’t go and see our family members. Our siblings, our cousins, and so forth because we have been told it is not safe. People cannot gather together in houses of worship. Jewish people will be spending Passover at home. Christians will we spending Easter in their homes. We are grieving the loss of connection.

Part of that loss of connection is even physical touch. We have some new neighbors in our neighborhood. I saw a child and the neighbor in the driveway. The young child started talking to me. I went over to introduce myself because I was going to shake hands. My neighbor and I both stopped in the driveway. We stopped because of physical distancing and safety. But we both talked about how unnatural it was for us not to touch, shake hands, or hug.

Loss of loved ones

And of course, there are those of us who have lost friends and family members due to death. Not only do we mourn the loss of our loved ones, but we also grieve the loss of tradition that stabilizes us during this time. What do I mean? We can’t go to funerals during this season. We can’t say good-bye to our loved ones in the traditional way. All of these things leave us with sadness in our hearts and souls.

So if you or your loved ones are having difficulty sleeping, if you are experiencing some bursts of anger, if you are feeling like there are times that you just cannot do anything. Know this is normal.

Some suggestions for handling this difficult season that we all are facing:

1. Just get up- just by moving our bodies we are signaling to the world and ourselves that we are still living.
2. Connect with someone – use the phone. Have a facetime party. Send emails. Do something where you can connect with at least one person on a daily basis.
3. Get outside if you can – just going outside allows you to get away from cabin fever
4. Create a ritual of remembrance – we may not be able to attend the funeral, but we can write letters to say goodbye to a loved one. We can sing their favorite songs, or cook their favorite dish. We can get on the phone or Skype or facetime with others, tell stories, and honor the life of our loved ones.
5. Talk to a counselor, or clergy person, etc. – Many therapists are meeting with people via phone or video during this time. Reach out because therapists offer non-judgmental, safe, and confidential places for us to vent our feelings, process, and heal our wounds, and find solutions to our problems.

Begin Grief Counseling in Atlanta, GA

Navigating grief can be difficult. But, you don’t have to do this alone. We can help in our Atlanta-based counseling clinic or through online therapy in Georgia. Grief counseling in Atlanta, GA can give you tools to navigate this difficult time in an adaptive way. In addition to grief counseling, we offer a variety of services at Faith and Family Empowerment. These include treatment for depression, anxiety, and relationship counseling for one. For couples, we offer marriage counseling, discernment counseling, affair recovery, and premarital counseling. We also offer online support groups for depression and anxiety. When you’re ready to begin working with us, follow these steps: