We often think grieving occurs after the loss and death of someone we love. However, we experience grief in multiple aspects of our lives, not just in death. When our experiences of grief are not understood or spoken about by society or those around us, this leads to what is called disenfranchised grief.

Can grief cause anxiety? Grief related anxiety can present itself as panicking, excessive worrying, difficulty concentrating/focusing, trouble sleeping, restlessness, irritability, and with intrusive thoughts. Feelings of grief and anxiety can manifest in physical symptoms like nausea, stomach aches, fatigue, body aches/back pain, increase in heart rate, and trembling/shaking. Anxiety can also manifest in spiritual ways where you may be questioning reality, have fears around death and what happens next, or simply seeking answers through religious and or spiritual practices to find answers and a sense of hope.

Fall is officially here and with it comes more time for introspection as we cozy up indoors and look forward to the coming holidays. Many have started planning around holiday events and may be having mixed feelings about this season as it greets us once again amidst an ongoing pandemic. Commonly, Thanksgiving and Christmas spark feelings of excitement and joy for upcoming gatherings with family and friends. Many others may find the upcoming months more difficult to navigate. Some may already feel holiday blues taking hold, suffering from emotional overwhelm, including sadness, loneliness, irritability, anger, nervousness, or low energy. Among the range of emotions that come with the holiday blues, grief is the most commonly felt as reminders of important losses are easily triggered during traditional end of year reflection. Regardless of how you may feel today, this article can offer great therapeutic strategies to increase your bandwidth during this holiday season.