A message from the Teton County Health Department:
JACKSON, Wyo. — For October’s mental health topic, the Teton County Health Department is highlighting grief, loss and identity. Grief is a response to loss or trauma. While people tend to associate grief with sadness that surrounds the death of a loved one, people can experience grief after many other losses, such as a breakup, losing a job, being diagnosed with a terminal illness or losing a friendship. All of these things are losses, no matter how large or small, and can bring up strong emotions like grief. Visit the bilingual web-based platform CredibleMind for effective approaches and resources to help you navigate your grief and find healing.
Loss and Identity
Apart from the specific loss (person, job, health, etc.), there is also a secondary loss of identity. Your identity may change as you re-evaluate your relationships with others and change structures and routines, but a sudden loss can be challenging. Often, your identity after a loss cannot return to what it was before.
What are some coping strategies for grief?
Develop simple routines
Eat meals at regular times. Try to wake up and go to bed at similar times each day. Write a to-do list and try to do one or two things a day from your list.
Connect with people
Seek opportunities to be with your friends and family, especially those who are good listeners. Try to accept social invitations and connect with others. Seek counseling if you need extra support or feel overwhelmed.
Set aside “Grief Time”
Scheduling grief time can help you feel more in control of your grief and less overwhelmed. Set aside 20 or 30 minutes once a day or week when you won’t be disturbed. Use the time to engage with grief by crying, writing a letter or returning to whatever emotions in your grief have come up.
Below are some additional resources on grief and loss:
Four Ways to Cope with Loss and Change
How Does Grieving Differ Between Cultures?
Finding Joy in Grief: A Radical and Mindful Approach to Grieving
How to Help a Grieving Teenager: 10 Tips for Handling Teen Grief
Find additional tools and other self-treatment resources at https://teton.crediblemind.com/. This programming has been made possible through generous funding from the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole’s Behavioral Health Initiatives Grant.
