WHAT IS GRIEF?
- Grief is a human emotion that we experience around loss.
- We don’t just feel grief after a death, people experience grief for lots of reasons, including relationship breakdowns and job loss.
- Everyone experiences grief differently. There is no right way to grieve.
Grief is a term for an emotion that we can experience for a whole host of reasons. Although we regularly talk about grief in relation to death, there’s grief relating to many other kinds of loss – for example loss of an old way of life, a job, an item, or a partner.
Although grief is something we all have to go through, and continue to go through throughout our lives, talking about grief can feel really tough. You can find tailored support for what you're going through here.
If you're struggling to move forward or are feeling suicidal after losing someone, you can speak to CALM in confidence. Find out more about CALM's helpline here.
People experience grief for many reasons – and they can be a result of a combination of things. These can include:
- Death of a loved one – a family member, friend, colleague, pet or even an acquaintance or celebrity that meant a lot to you.
- Loss of a way of life – if your life has changed or you can’t do the things you used to be able to, it is normal to experience grief.
- Loss of a job or role that contributes to your sense of identity.
- A relationship breakdown.
- Loss of a status or respect.
- Loss of a home.