Manifestations of Grief (PDF)

2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WWW.GOOD-GRIEF.ORG MANIFESTATIONS OF GRIEF Below is a chart that outlines common physical, emotional, social, behavioral, and spiritual responses to loss. This can be a helpful tool if you know a family member, friend, student, or colleague who is grieving. All reactions below are completely normal, but the individual might benefit from a caring friend, teacher, parent, or co-worker reaching out to support. Physical Emotional Social Behavioral Spiritual • Hyperactive or underactive • Feelings of unreality • Physical distress such as chest pains, abdominal pains, headaches, nausea • Decreased immune system • Unusual clumsiness • Change in appetite • Weight change • Digestive problems • Fatigue • Sleeping problems • Restlessness • Crying and sighing • Feelings of emptiness • Shortness of breath • Tightness in the throat • Numbness • Sadness • Yearning • Crying • Anger • Fear • Relief • Irritability • Guilt • Regret • Loneliness • Longing • Anxiety • Meaninglessness • Bitterness • Apathy • Vulnerability • Abandonment • Helplessness • Loss of confidence • Lowered self-esteem • Overly sensitive • Dependent • Withdrawn • Avoid others • Detached • Lack of initiative • Lack of interest • Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities • Behaving in ways not normal for you • Relational distress • Loss of interest in intimacy • Preoccupation with own feelings and needs exclusively • Impatience with others grieving the same loss due to different grieving styles • Forgetfulness • Slowed thinking • Mental confusion • Trouble concentrating • Difficulty making decisions • Dreams and/or flashbacks • Sense the loved one’s presence • Wandering aimlessly • Trying not to talk about loss in order to help others feel comfortable around them • Needing to retell the story of the loved one’s death • Questioning: the reason for the death; the purpose of pain and suffering; the purpose of life; the meaning of death • Anger at a higher power • Sense of distance from a higher power • Sense of closeness to a higher power • Isolation from one’s spiritual community • Searching for a continuing bond with the deceased