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Blog 3 - Grief, what is it?

Posted by Erin McInnis, RSW on 16 February 2023
Blog 3 - Grief, what is it?

Photo: Erin McInnis

Grief…what is it?

Did you know grief has five spokes on a wheel?

Many people think there are only two aspects to grief. 

Emotional and mental. 

The bereaved feel so overwhelmed that at times they feel like they’re going crazy. We don’t feel like ourselves and feel that the grief process would be over in a matter of weeks or months. 

Wrong. So wrong.

We feel disconnected and our feelings come up in waves. We are overwhelmed and off balance. What we don’t realize is there are three other components to our grief. There are physical, social, and spiritual aspects to grief as well as our emotional and mental. With these five spokes on a wheel, there is much more to grief than we initially thought. So, when our grief happens, we feel a gut punch, a loss of normal. We are raw and vulnerable. Our sense of purpose is gone and what we knew to be true is no longer. It’s because of those five aspects of grief, all which come up in our grief work. And let me remind you that grief is WORK. 

Many people will tell us or insist that with time we will heal. Although they are not all wrong, time does help with our healing, it does take work to go through our grief. You can’t just skip to the end, nor is your grief linear. There are so many bumps and turns, then moments of pause and reflection.

Grief encompasses our whole person, not just our mind and emotions. 

Now that you are aware that grief is composed of five aspects, give yourself some grace. Think about how your grief affects ALL of your life. Write things down, journal, talk to friends or even reach out to your mental health professionals. 

It does take a village to support you in your grief. 

Continue to breathe…

Erin McInnis RSW. 

http://www.em-consulting.org

519-835-2294

Stay close to people who feel like sunshine. 

Erin McInnis, RSW

Author:Erin McInnis, RSW
About: Erin McInnis is a Registered Social Worker working virtually. You may contact her at: 519-835-2294 or see her website at http://www.em-consulting.org

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Based in South Western Ontario and providing Virtual Consultation in Ontario , Canada