GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan (Wood) — Grief is something that everyone probably experiences in their lifetime. Wednesday is National Grief Awareness Day.
“Grief is the experience of processing what we think is going to happen, what we expect, and what the reality is. Shannon Bruin, a licensed clinical social worker in counseling and psychiatry at Thrive Works in Grand Rapids, said. “It could be the loss of a loved one, the loss of an experience, or an irreversible life change.”
Grief has five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. But Bruin says the process is cyclical rather than linear.
“Sometimes grief creeps in and memories come when you least expect it. I have to leave it,” she said.
If your family or friends are experiencing grief, Ms. Bruin says you should be patient.
“When we see people grieving, we need to give them the space to do so. It means being able to experience it in a different way,” she said.
