Potter's Wheel Counseling

A term used to describe the intense and painful emotions experienced when someone or something a person cares about either dies or is lost. Grief is usually characterized by numbness, tearfulness, physical feelings of emptiness in the pit of the stomach, weak knees, shortness of breath, a tendency to sigh deeply, a sense of unreality, and overall emotional distress. Anxiety and longing may alternate with depression and despair. Insomnia and loss of appetite are common. Initially, people often feel numb and unable to accept their loss. Numbness is followed by shock as reality begins to penetrate.

Losing a loved one, whether it is a spouse, child, parent, sibling, friend, or pet, can be the most severe suffering a person must endure. At its most intense, grief can dominate every facet of a person's life, making the carrying out of ordinary responsibilities impossible. Loss and subsequent grief, however, are an inevitable part of life and loving other people or companion animals. Painful as it is, grief is a normal response to loss and generally resolves with the passage of time.

Grief that is still keeping you from completely functioning after 6 months may need professional help to resolve. If you don't seem to be making progress or if you just feel too overwhelmed to handle this on your own, call 770-386-0776 or CLICK to send an email requesting an appointment. You don't have to do this on your own. We can help.