The Benefits of Acceptance
Acceptance is a critical milestone in the grieving process. It allows for genuine healing to begin. By facing the reality of your loss, you open the door to emotional recovery. Acceptance also fosters resilience by helping you to adapt to your new life circumstances. This stage can bring a sense of peace and relief, freeing you from the heaviness of intense grief and denial. It enables you to cherish the loving memories of your spouse without being consumed by overwhelming sorrow.
In my life, I have noticed that the stages of grief come and go. They are intertwined, and sometimes I have found myself in more than one stage at the same time. Acceptance is a process. I believe I went in and out of acceptance and back into several of the other stages before finally fully settling in acceptance. There have been times when I have relapsed into an earlier stage due to a difficult life circumstance or a sudden loss that took me by surprise, and I would fall back into depression or anger. Difficult seasons have taken me right back to the trauma of the events surrounding my husband’s illness and death, and I feel like I am grieving all over again. But it doesn’t last, and I find that even though it is challenging to get through, acceptance is right around the corner.
Read more...Acceptance
Our conclusion to this series comes with a great deal of hope. The last stage in the stages of grief is acceptance, and it encompasses the convergence of understanding, healing and hope. Acceptance is intricately woven into the other stages, and as you work through each stage, there is an element of acceptance in each of them.
Read more...Continuation of six tips that helps me navigate depression:
3. Stay Connected: Reach out to friends and family, even when it feels difficult. Continue or start going to church and let someone know how you’re struggling. Isolation can deepen depression, while connection fosters healing.
4. Set Small Goals: Celebrating small victories, like doing the dishes or eating a meal, can provide a sense of accomplishment and hope.
5. Find Meaning: Engage in activities that honor your loved one’s memory. This could be volunteering for a cause your loved one supported or creating a scrapbook of your memories. My daughter and I planted flowers at my late husband’s grave one summer, and it was not only a way to honor him, but it also helped her find a measure of comfort by doing something for Daddy.
Read more...As I stopped being so busy, I unintentionally began isolating myself, which only compounded my anxiety and depression. I felt like I shouldn’t still be struggling so much. It had been nearly 4 years since Jon passed, and I thought I would have been past this point. Those feelings contributed to my depression because I was putting expectations on myself instead of leaving those things in the Lord’s hands. The Lord finally got my attention and made it very clear that I needed to get some help. My kids and I moved in with my parents for a couple of months, and while there, I started getting counseling. During counseling, God showed me the unhealthy thought patterns and destructive behaviors I was holding on to, and slowly He helped me let go of those and deepened my trust in Him. He helped me release control of my life and leave it in His much more capable hands. During that time, God made it clear that we needed to move closer to family. We moved from Maine to New Hampshire into a little house just down the street from my folks, which was a big step in my healing journey.
Read more...The Dangers of Depression
While there are benefits to depression, prolonged depression can be dangerous. When it feels insurmountable, it can lead to a sense of hopelessness and even thoughts of self-harm. It can strain our physical health, leading to chronic fatigue, weakened immune systems, and other serious health implications. Depression can isolate us, causing us to withdraw from our support networks at a time when we need them most.
Depression was by far my longest stage in grief. During this stage I had a constant heaviness that didn’t lift for a long time. I had trouble staying asleep, I struggled with adrenal fatigue, my autoimmune disease flared up, and everything felt so much harder than usual. I missed Jon so much, and I was struggling with how to do life without him. I got stuck in my grief and had a difficult time moving forward.
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