Anxiety, sadness, and yearning are a few emotions experienced when grieving. Clinical psychologist Mary-Frances O’Connor believes “Grief is a universal experience.” However, loss affects everyone differently.
When the loss is sudden, it can sometimes trigger a complicated response known as traumatic grief. Emotions are so heightened and unexpected that many suffering from traumatic grief are unable to cope with these overwhelming feelings. Often, they are unable to function and may find daily routines difficult.
Traumatic grief can have an even greater impact on seniors. They are more likely to have more family and develop more connections after years of living than younger individuals. For them, loss may often be sudden and recurring.
If you’re experiencing this, we outline coping strategies to help you through this difficult time.
Understanding Traumatic Grief
Why do sudden losses sometimes trigger traumatic grief? According to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, an unexpected loss may be more difficult to process because:
- There isn’t time to prepare or say goodbye to your loved one
- Depending on the manner of death and the age of the deceased, the loss can affect your sense of security
- The loss of a deep connection may affect your sense of purpose and being
Symptoms can be conflicting, complicated, and extreme and include:
- Anger
- Bitterness
- Shock
- Disbelief or denial
- Distress
- Guilt
- Fear
There may also be prolonged sadness that can make performing even simple tasks challenging. Frequent exposure to loss and grief can exacerbate these symptoms for seniors.
They may find old routines, maintaining other relationships, or participating in activities difficult, leading to social isolation. These major changes to their way of life may slowly affect their sense of identity. Enjoying things they once loved becomes challenging as they struggle with losing parts of themselves along with the deceased.
Healthy Coping Strategies
Coping with traumatic grief, especially for seniors, requires a comprehensive approach. It should involve emotional support, practical assistance, and community resources. Here are some strategies and resources to help seniors navigate this challenging time:
Social Support
According to the National Library of Medicine, social support can protect seniors from the effects of grief. When coping with loss, it’s important to engage with family, friends, or support groups where you can share experiences and receive understanding. Seeking support helps you:
- Openly express and acknowledge your feelings
- Work through the pain
- Take the necessary steps to try to accept the loss
There are many bereavement support groups tailored for seniors dealing with grief. Getting involved can be extremely beneficial to your emotional well-being.
Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques
Mindfulness and relaxation techniques include deep breathing or meditation. Practicing these can reduce stress and improve emotional balance. Their benefits can be emotional and physical, including:
- Helping to treat disease
- Lowering blood pressure
- Reducing chronic pain
- Improving sleep
Mindfulness is effective because it can positively affect your state of mind, allowing you to focus on being present in the moment while being more aware of your feelings.
Journaling can also help you face the conflicting emotions you may be feeling. It provides an outlet for you to express yourself privately. Writing down thoughts can help identify triggers of emotions and shift focus towards positive memories.
Both mindfulness and journaling can improve senior mental health, which is crucial when experiencing traumatic grief.
Physical Activity
Traumatic grief can disrupt your daily routine. Slowly reintegrating physical activity can help make doing familiar tasks less challenging.
Gentle exercises like walking or yoga improve mood and health. Exercise releases endorphins that enhance well-being. Physical activity can also take your mind off negative thoughts.
Doing these activities outdoors also helps decrease anxiety and stress.
Practical Support Measures
Your close friends may also experience traumatic grief. How can you find a tangible way to assist them through this challenging time? Helping them with errands or household chores can alleviate their burdens during grief.
If you are grieving, occupying yourself with household chores can also help take your mind off your sadness. Keeping routines like attending social events can do the same. Both can help restore a sense of normalcy to your life.
Emotional Resilience Building
The relationship you once had with your deceased loved one might hold the key to building emotional resilience. Focus on the cherished memories shared and express gratitude for the time you were able to spend together. Acknowledging the traits you possess that drew them to you can help reinforce your sense of identity.
Use these as well as affirmations to remind yourself of your strengths and your ability to overcome past challenges in your life. Doing so can help reassure you that you will get through this difficult time.
Strengthen this new positive mindset by participating in activities that bring you joy. Purposeful engagement, such as volunteering, can also help as it takes your mind off your struggles as you focus on helping others.
Addressing Mental Health Concerns
Untreated traumatic grief can have potential health impacts such as depression or anxiety. Allowing yourself to feel the emotions, as well as incorporating the coping strategies above into your life, can help you avoid this.
Grief counseling can also provide the support you need to work through your pain before it becomes so overwhelming and triggers feelings of anxiety or depression.
Finding the Support You Need
Grief can affect people in various ways, but the underlying cause is a deep sense of loss. When this loss is unexpected, it can lead to traumatic grief. Traumatic grief usually has a greater impact on seniors, who may experience it more often due to the many connections developed over their lifetime.
Coping with traumatic grief among seniors should involve social support, physical activity, and mindfulness techniques. It can be a slow process, and it’s important to have patience while you go through the stages of grief.
Having a supportive community helps, and you can find that at Morada Lawton. We offer a full range of engaging social events and activities. These include church services that can provide spiritual guidance and fun activities that encourage socialization to take your mind off your sadness.
Schedule a tour to experience an environment that offers residents ongoing support.
