During grief, teens experience all kinds of emotions. They may be overwhelming, frightening, and intense: they may feel out of control.
The variety of grief reactions is endless and includes physical, behavioral, emotional/social, intellectual/cognitive and spiritual reactions.
Here are some tips for teens coping with grief:
Shock, disbelief: Talk, talk, talk. Grief needs to become real before you can go on with the mourning process. Avoiding the pain is not possible.
Denial: Understand that you cannot escape from grief. So talk about your pain.
Anger: You have every right to be angry. But you don’t have a right to take out that anger on others - or on yourself. If you feeling angry, try shooting hoops, walking, listening to music, journaling.
Guilt and regrets: If only I hadn’t said… I wish I had… Give yourself a break. When someone dies we often second-guess ourselves, but the truth is that awful things happen and there is little we can do about that.
Fears, worries: It’s difficult not to worry that something will happen to someone else you love or to you. Try to identify what your worries are. Then, talk to someone about those worries. Is anything in your control? If so, take a responsible action. If not, try some relaxation.
Inability to sleep: Rest, rest, rest. Grief is draining.
Inability to eat: Watch yourself. Grief can sometimes make you “forget” to eat or have not cares about what you are eating. Try to sit down at mealtime and eat.
Inability to remember: You forgot about the paper that’s due? You locked your keys in the car? Write things down. Organize for the next day the night before. Have friends call with reminders about assignments.
Inability to concentrate: How can you focus when your mind is wandering? Allow more time to do homework. Talk to your teachers. Be extra careful when doing any task that requires your complete attention, ESPECIALLY driving
Thursday, September 18, 2008
TEEN GRIEF
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
How very true is every word of your article !
And not just for young people.
Since my hubby passed away 17 mos & 4 days ago, I've only had maybe 2 nights of 6 hours sleep, I've only spent more than 1/2 hr reading in the last 2 weeks, from a good book my family in Florida recommended to me, called '90 min in heaven'.
AND food, if it wasn't a requirement for my medication, I don't really care if I never ate again!!! This is something that I've never experienced in my life!
And yes, it is the most difficult journey I've ever had too !!!
God Bless you for your thoughtful
column !
Post a Comment