LOSS & GRIEF
The experience of loss, and the grief that follows are part of the human experience. If we are fortunate in our lives we have loving relationships.
When separation and loss occur, as inevitably they do, we feel it.
SHARING - REMEMBERING - REFLECTING - ACCEPTING -
EXPRESSING - JOURNALING - SEEKING - CARING
Some losses are more difficult to navigate than others. And each of us experiences loss in our own unique way. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. It takes as long as it takes and it is what it is. Our experience is dependent upon many variables, our relationship to whom or what has been lost, the circumstances of the loss, our age and stage of life at the time of the loss.
When going through narcissistic abuse, the “loss and grief” hit hard. It’s not just about losing the relationship—it’s mourning the love and connection you thought you had, only to realize it was an illusion. It leaves your self-esteem in pieces and triggers a rollercoaster of emotions like anger, guilt, longing, and sadness, even after you’ve walked away.
We may grow from our loss and realize a full life with tender acceptance. While our lives will never be the same, or what we hoped they might have been, we still may live gracious, and joyful lives, content and full, even after the experience of the deepest and most painful loss.
The experience of grieving can be like being on a journey without a map. It can help to have a guide, someone to hold the flashlight, as it were, and a respectful witness to your experience.