Are you feeling overwhelmed by grief? Are thoughts about the person or pet who died making it hard for you to think of anything else? Are you wondering if you’ll ever feel like yourself again?

When someone we are very close to dies, we are confronted with a seemingly impossible reality. Even though our minds and hearts are working very hard to understand all that’s happened, a part of us just doesn’t want to believe it’s true. We protest, at first, what we can’t accept.

Grief is at heart, a healing process. The pain and disruption that we often feel in the early days and weeks after loss are part of an instinctive natural process. In a way, the intensity and depth of grief work together to compel us to seek comfort and relief. They act as a signal to our brains that we need extra care.

Although undeniably difficult, the grieving process is both necessary and purposeful. Experiencing grief actually helps us to adapt and adjust to our lives after loss. Over time, we are able to rediscover meaningful ways to live fully and also to remain connected to the important people and pets we’ve lost.