Health Tip: Experience Grief as a Healthy Emotion

(HealthDay News) - Grief is a normal, healthy emotion experienced when a person has a significant loss, such as the death of someone close, or even the end of a relationship.

The American Academy of Family Physicians lists these common symptoms of grief:

• Numbness, shock and denial are common initially.
• Feelings of abandonment may occur once reality has set in.
• Anger -- directed at the person who is gone, yourself, others and even religion -- is common.
• Temporary depression and guilt may set in once the grieving person realizes what the loss means.
• Thinking frequently about the person and reliving memories are normal reactions, as well.
• Little by little, you should begin to feel better. Eventually, you should begin to focus on resuming relationships and activities. It''s not uncommon to initially feel "disloyal" to someone as you start to move on.

-- Diana Kohnle

Last Updated: Jan. 31, 2008

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