Getting through grief one step at a time | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

to those who are grieving, You Aren't Alone

I promise.

141
https://www.pexels.com/photo/art-blur-close-up-colors-580631/
Pexels

In This Article:

There's a moment in time where everything just stands still. When you lose a person and you know that you can never get them back. I'm not talking about a fight that you think will never get resolved, I'm talking about when that person is gone from this world and there is no way to ever see them again.

That is the time where you can experience grief that is so overwhelming it can be scary. If you are in this chair right now, please let me tell you that you are not alone. I am going through it again with you. In fact, I relieve it almost every day, because it doesn't leave you. It never gets easier, you just realize that time changes how you see things.

You will go through all five stages of grief, even if you don't realize it. For me, my first stage didn't set in until a week later at the funeral. I remember crying for a week straight before I could go say my goodbyes. I walked up to the casket and I bawled my eyes out, and still I didn't want to believe it was him inside. I swore that it wasn't because it didn't look like him. He was too tan, too still, too anything I could come up with to make it not true.

You'll experience this too. It's the feeling of not wanting to believe it, because it's as if believing it will make it more real. It's already real and trust me it scared the hell out of me just as much as it does you.

I was so angry for a long time, asking God why he could let something like this happen. As if he could stop his hand from pulling the trigger. Then I was angry with him, because he left without giving it any thought. He left me here in pain and decided enough was enough for him. I was so mad because I would have shouldered his hurt if he would have let me.

Instead I wasn't allowed to get close enough to help, and I had to bear it all after he was gone.

You will go through the anger stage too. Believe me when I say it's the one that you will feel the most in. You'll be upset with many people and you'll be sad, and you'll want to scream. I am telling you to scream, because you have to let it out.

It the midst of all my yelling I started bargaining with God saying things like "if you bring them back I promise to go to church every week" or that you'll be good or change your behavior. I yelled at God for a really long time begging for just a week or an hour more. Just to hear his voice again.

Eventually, I fell into a state of utter silence. Where I couldn't eat, sleep, talk, walk, or think anymore. I was to the point of not moving from my bed for a while. This is the fourth stage and the most dangerous stage of all. It's easy to get caught in this stage, to be in a state of depression constantly. I almost got caught. If I didn't have my family and friends around I probably would have.

I know what has happened and I accept that it has. That said it doesn't make it any easier. Each day goes by and he is one of the first things on my mind. Each day you will wake up and the person that you lost will be in the forefront of your mind. It's hard because you want so badly for them to come back, and yet you also just want to be okay.

I spend a very long time each day preparing mentally for it. Making sure that I won't break down whenever I see cookie dough ice cream or walk into a Walmart. I spend a long time in the shower under hot water trying to feel something other than the pain I get in the morning.

I want you to know that it's okay to feel those kinds of things and to try and prepare for it.

It's also okay if no matter how much you prepare that you still break down and cry, because believe me, I do too.

Time doesn't heal the wounds, it allows you to protect yourself for more. It turns your hole into a sanctuary for the memory of your lost one.

Whether you are grieving a recent loss, or one from the past. We are all walking the path to healing. We are all trying to find the silver lining together. You are not alone.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

12570
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

2123
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1320
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments