12 ketteringhealth.org Losing someone or something important is always difficult. Loss changes our world in an instant. Suddenly, we’re faced with learning to adjust, to cope, and—namely— to grieve. Grief is compounded not just by loss, but by how loss means grieving the loss of normalcy and the loss of what was. For those grieving, Julie Manuel, a licensed professional clinical counselor, wants you to know: “You’re not alone.” Every year, this one included, has been difficult for countless people. Some lost homes. Others lost jobs. Some lost loved ones. And each loss, regardless of what it entailed, creates deep emotional wounds that require “the slow, nonlinear process of grief” to heal. Embrace the process and make a plan Grief, though universal, isn’t a one-size-fitsall experience. How to navigate grief “There’s no blueprint for processing grief,” says Julie. “It happens as we allow it to happen.” The first thing to know is that your grief is not anyone else’s. Julie encourages not comparing your grief with someone else’s. For starters, this may mean avoiding social media. “Don’t compare your grief to someone else’s joy,” says Julie. “Instead, embrace that grief is a process and make a plan.” The best plans, she says, are simple, which may feel counterintuitive. Grief is heavy and intimidating. Often, those in the thick of it believe the solution to grief should be as dramatic and cumbersome as grief itself. But the way forward, Julie suggests, is the opposite: Take baby steps that acknowledge the difficulty of grief and the possibility of moving forward. “If we can simplify the grief process, if we can practice doing a few simple things, it’ll help reduce and even release some of the severity of grief.” Mental health Julie Manuel is the clinical program manager at Kettering Health Behavioral Medical Center MOVING FORWARD
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