Grief and bereavement

As mentioned previously, grief and bereavement can trigger a depressive illness in some cases. Grief is obviously a natural process that will occur after a loss has been suffered. You would expect to experience five different stages of grief in normal circumstances which can be described as Numbness, Mourning and Acceptance.

In the first stage, this can last for different periods of time but it will typically be represented by emotional numbness and sometimes a lack of acceptance of the death. In the second stage, this is where a variety of emotions can be experienced. Sadness, guilt, agitation, anger are examples and other areas of your life can be affected, such as appetite, sleep etc. Blame can be a key feature during this time, blaming of self and others. Some physical symptoms can be experienced during this time and people can even find that they see the deceased person or at very least, sense them in some way. During the final stage of Acceptance, the death becomes more real and more acceptable.

However, at any stage during this process, feelings of depression can emerge. Grief is a process that needs working through and it is not unnatural to experience depressive feelings at this time – if this extends into something more severe, it does need to be addressed, like any form of depression. Family and friends are important in terms of providing a support network to cushion you and help to talk you through the process. Professional counsellors can also offer support and some people find it easier to talk to someone who does not know them or their background. Bereavement counsellors are specifically trained to help you acknowledge the death by encouraging discussion and emotional expression.

Grief can be more prolonged or intense if the death was unexpected for example. Also, if a parent loses a child, they can find themselves blaming themselves, finding themselves responsible, even if they were not in the vicinity. Equally, if a young child loses it’s parents, this can be difficult to come to terms with. There are many other scenarios which can cause someone to struggle to get over a death. Medication can help at a time like this and your GP should be consulted to discuss this but this is often not needed. Sometimes a support group or course can be the best way to tackle this type of depression but this will very much depend on the individual and how you best respond to particular treatment.