We all have various methods to relieve sorrow and bereavement. The stress caused by grief affects people both mentally and physically. If an individual is having an especially difficult time dealing with grief, he or she may become depressed or physically ill. There are a number of feelings that people experience while coming to terms with a loss:

• shock, numbness, bewilderment, a sense of disbelief, and possibly denial
• feelings of emptiness and intense suffering
• dreams and/or hallucinations that their loved one is still alive
• feelings of despair as one comes to terms with the loss
• feelings of sadness and the inability to feel pleasure
• tense, restless anxiety may alternate with lethargy and fatigue
• individuals may alternate between avoiding reminders of the deceased and reclaiming memories
• sadness can be mixed with anger
• self-blame for treating the deceased badly

Physical symptoms of grief can include weakness, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, headaches, back pain, indigestion, shortness of breath, heart palpitations and even occasional dizziness and nausea.

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