Today, Americans across the country are acknowledging National Grief Awareness Day.
The day was created to highlight the individual and collective experience of coping with loss and promote resources for healing. For many dealing with loss, grief can bring feelings of anxiety, disbelief, depression and even anxiety about the future. Grief is generally defined as a primarily emotional reaction to the loss of a loved one through death. According to Frontiers in Psychiatry, it also incorporates diverse psychological and physical manifestations. Losing a loved one is consistently ranked as one of the most stressful life experiences.
There are several stages to the grieving process. The stages of grief include denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The model was developed by Swiss-born psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. The five stages have since been adopted into The Kübler-Ross Change Curve by many corporations to train employees in change and loss. The process is often cited as being moved through in a particular order, but in fact, the stages are non-linear and these aspects of grief can be experienced at different times.
The Black community may experience grief at a higher rate than their white counterparts. This is partly due to well-documented health disparities. Research by the University of Arizona shows that grief can be associated with increased inflammation, high blood pressure and lowered immunity. In the long term, it may contribute to cardiovascular problems, difficulty sleeping and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Prolonged grief disorder is a medical condition in which grief symptoms or three or more last longer than 12 months. An estimated 7%-10% of bereaved adults will experience the persistent symptoms of prolonged grief disorder. Among children and adolescents who have lost a loved one, approximately 5%-10% will experience depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and/or prolonged grief disorder following bereavement.
To mark the date, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) has created a new “Living with Loss” video series for people looking to process their grief or to support others. The series features the personal experiences, journeys, and wisdom of those who have traversed loss due to suicide.
Central to AFSP’s mission is to bring hope to those affected by suicide by connecting and mobilizing the suicide loss survivor community. Founded in 1987, AFSP was charted by a small group of individuals and researchers who had all lost loved ones to suicide. AFSP began as a “grassroots-meet-science” organization and works hard to ensure that all those dealing with loss never feel as though they have to walk alone.
“I don’t know if the grief has gotten smaller, but in the twelve years since the loss of my daughter, I have gotten stronger,” noted AFSP volunteer Dionne C. Monsanto.
If you are suffering a loss, there is a community of people who understand and are here to help you navigate loss.
To find support for yourself or another suicide loss survivor, visit afsp.org/loss.
