Could it be a grief reaction?

DAYTON—Most of us are acquainted with the five stages of grief, which are; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, and most of us have experienced grief, firsthand, through the loss of a job, the loss of financial security, the end of an important relationship, or through the death of a loved one.

Can the feelings we are experiencing about the reality of COVID-19 be thought of as a grief reaction?

Chrisann Christensen, the Clinical Director at Blue Mountain Counseling thinks so, and said the loss of freedom, the loss of feeling safe and the loss of predictability are classic for grief.

Christensen said she has been thinking about the sense of loss and frustration this year’s high school seniors must feel with the loss of a graduation ceremonies and celebrations that most of us have always taken for granted.

“Let’s face it most of us may be feeling the same way,” she said.

“I’ve learned you cannot rush through the grieving process. And normal is not a good word to use when talking about grieving because we all do it differently,” Christensen said.

“What is a loss to me may not be a loss to you, and what makes me feel better may not work for you”, she said.

She said a person doesn’t necessarily start with the first stage of grief and move directly through to the last one.

“You may move back and forth and back and forth. You may skip one. You may feel stuck on one, perhaps anger or depression,” she said.

Christensen offers some suggestions for dealing with feelings during this time.

Faith practices help.

For the past several Sundays the Congregational Church has rung the church bell for 15 minutes. Christensen said she likes to sit outside and listen, then come up with a blessing or thanksgiving each time the bell rings.

A sympathetic ear can be a relief and can provide a much-needed distraction so reach out to friends and family for help, she said.

“Overthinking can lead to more problems, and we do not want that,” she said.

“Physical activity is also useful for so many reasons,” she said.

Also, hobbies, gardening, reading, knitting, crocheting, and crafting can fill in the minutes or hours where you are bored, sad, or depressed.

Christensen said the feelings of grief and loss usually ease over time, and people heal.

However, feelings of isolation, sleeping too little or too much, irritability, drug or alcohol dependence, or having thoughts about self-harm are reasons for concern.

Christensen said counselors at the Blue Mountain Counseling Center are available by phone at: (509) 382-1164.

1 (800) 273-8255 is the phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

To access 24/7 crisis intervention services through the Veterans Administration Crisis Line call 1-800-TALK.