Thoughts:
- Recurring dreams about the event, loss or loved one
- Mentally reconstructing the events surrounding the loss, in an effort to create a different outcome
- Trouble concentrating or remembering things
- Questioning your spiritual or religious beliefs
Feelings:
- Numb, withdrawn or disconnected
- Fear and anxiety when things remind you of your loss
- A lack of involvement or enjoyment in everyday activites
- Depressed or 'down' much of the time
- Bursts of anger, or intense irritability
- Emptiness or hopelessness about the future
Behaviors:
- Isolating yourself from others
- Having problems getting to sleep or staying asleep
- Avoiding places & people that remind you of your loss
- Staying excessively busy to avoid thinking about deceased loved one
Coping:
- Coping styles depend on one's personality and relationship with the person who has died.
- This experience can also be affected by one’s cultural, religious background & mental history.