Asked and Answered

Many people wonder if their grieving is normal. If you’re not crying you may feel you’re not grieving as you should, and it can make you uncomfortable. Yet, grief can be surprising and unpredictable; you may well feel emotions you hadn’t expected. It’s good to remember that your relationship with the person who died was unique, so the way... 

It’s normal to feel a mix of emotions during bereavement. Feelings of grief can come up at unexpected times, and holidays can be a trigger. The pressure of getting into the spirit of the season can add to the difficulties and churn up even more emotions. Some people who are grieving find it reassuring to participate in traditional holiday... 

Learning to live without your husband, and adapting to a very different life without him is a demanding experience. This period is the most difficult, especially if your loss was sudden or unexpected, and if you didn’t have a proper chance to say goodbye. It’s part of the grieving process to feel immense sadness and miss the person who died. 

Each person in your family has a unique relationship with your mother, so each of you will grieve her in a unique way. Also, each of you is unique in how you cope with stresses. These ways of coping apply to grief also. Sometimes grieving starts before someone dies. This is known as anticipatory grief . It seems that your sister is going through... 

When people are coping with the death of someone significant in their lives, it can be difficult to know whether they are experiencing grief or depression. The Canadian Psychological Association describes the difference between the two: “Grief is often described as a longing for the person, a lack of acceptance of the death, memories that...