Grief & Boundaries

Grief is a part of life. It comes when we feel a loss, something changes, or something ends. It is usually connected to death, yet this is a small part of grief within the human experience. As with any emotion, grief is manageable if you allow yourself to experience it.

 When I say experiencing grief or any other emotion,  I mean allowing yourself to walk through the gambit of emotions and not numb yourself to them. 

As a therapist, I know this, yet I fall into this  TRAP (Triggers, Emotional Responses, and Avoidance Patterns) from time to time too.  Always with a false hope that the emotions will not be there when I come back. (Note: They are always there waiting for me). 

Granted, stopping your life, setting your responsibilities aside, and spending the next week lost in a Ben and Jerry Netflicks haze as the emotions connected to grief flow through you sounds like a good idea. Yet, life does not wait for us to get our shit together, nor does spending a week in this funk guarantee that grief will completely exit our systems. Emotions do not work like that.  

The key is balance, setting aside time for yourself, giving yourself grace, and taking care of yourself in a healthy way. 

Like most things regarding mental health, grief can last a lifetime. There is no cure; just learning to cope, and it takes time to learn to cope with emotions effectively.  So be good to yourself. 

While I am not a grief counselor, I do understand emotions. Contact me if you need support through the process. 

Love and Light, 

Jodie Nicole