Grief is part of change
No matter the type of change you are experiencing, grief and loss are part of that transition.
Most people respond to loss by going through the stages of grief - denial, anger, depression and finally acceptance. The intensity of these feelings is directly related to the importance of the loss. It is your perception of the loss not your family or friends or society’s perception.
I was reading this article by Bob Holmes in the Rapid City Journal and found it interesting how he described this process of grief…..
“Immediately after a loss, we are usually not strong enough to let ourselves feel much of anything, so the unconscious defense mechanism of denial steps in to protect us from the emotions we are not yet ready to handle……. We remain in the denial stage until we become strong enough to allow ourselves to feel. Not ready yet to feel the emptiness and paralysis of depression, we feel angry instead…… Anger brings us one step closer to depression by allowing us to experience strong emotion, but also keeps depression at bay by projecting our emotions outward toward others rather than turning them inward. While denial and anger might seem like pure avoidance, they but time and provide energy that we use unconsciously to work out new ways of being and to process the loss. Depression comes to the fore when we become strong enough to face it. Allowing ourselves to feel this sadness and emptiness takes courage, but it leads finally to acceptance and moving on.”
I am not a mental health professional and had never heard this explanation of the stages of grief. It makes sense to me and also offers some comfort. No matter how hard losses can be during transitions in our life, the process helps to protect us somewhat and allows us time to get stronger.