Grief Bereavement Loss

Support is also available if you're finding it hard to cope with stress, anxiety or depression.

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Support is available if you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis or emergency, no matter what you're going through.

Find out where to get urgent help for mental health

Symptoms of bereavement, grief and loss

Bereavement, grief and loss can cause many different symptoms and they affect people in different ways. There's no right or wrong way to feel.

As well as bereavement, there are other types of loss such as the end of a relationship or losing a job or home.

Signs and symptoms of grief can include:

shock and numbness - this is usually the first reaction to loss, and people often talk about "being in a daze"
overwhelming sadness, with lots of crying
tiredness or exhaustion
anger - towards the person you've lost or the reason for your loss
guilt - for example, guilt about feeling angry, about something you said or did not say, or not being able to stop your loved one dying

These feelings may not be there all the time and powerful feelings may appear unexpectedly.

It's not always easy to recognise when bereavement, grief or loss are the reason you're acting or feeling differently.

Things you can try to help with bereavement, grief and loss

Do

try talking about your feelings to a friend, family member, healthcare professional or counsellor
consider peer support, where people use their experiences to help each other
regular exercise can improve your mood and may help you sleep better
eat a healthy diet with regular meals to keep your energy levels stable

Don't

do not try to do everything at once - set small targets that you can easily achieve
do not focus on the things you cannot change - focus your time and energy into helping yourself feel better
try not to tell yourself that you're alone - most people feel grief after a loss and support is available
try not to use alcohol, cigarettes, gambling or drugs to relieve grief - these can all contribute to poor mental health

Further information and support

You can find further information and support from several organisations, including:

When and where to get medical help

You may feel sad after a bereavement and these feelings should ease gradually with time.

But if you are feeling increasingly depressed or anxious you may need medical help.

See a GP if:

you're struggling to cope with stress, anxiety or a low mood
you've had a low mood for more than 2 weeks
things you're trying yourself are not helping
you would prefer to get a referral from a GP

Other ways to get help

If you're 18 or over (or 16 or over in some areas), you can refer yourself directly to an NHS talking therapies service without talking to a GP.

Find NHS talking therapies for anxiety and depression

If you're under 18, find out more about mental health support for children and young people.

Causes of bereavement, grief and loss

Grief and bereavement are natural responses to loss and can be triggered by many things and not just the death of a loved one.

You can have feelings of grief after:

the end of a relationship
losing a job
moving to a new place to live
someone close to you becomes seriously ill

Prolonged grief disorder

For most people grief after the death of a loved one becomes less intense over time. But for some people, grief after a death lasts many months or years. This is known as prolonged grief disorder or complicated grief.

Symptoms of prolonged grief disorder include:

very difficult feelings such as sadness or guilt that do not get any easier as the months go by
spending a lot of time thinking about the person who's died
difficulty accepting the death
not being able to return to everyday activities
suicidal thoughts

You're more likely to have prolonged grief disorder if the death was traumatic or sudden and unexpected.

See a GP if:

you have symptoms of prolonged grief disorder

Find out more about prolonged grief disorder on the Cruse website

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