LCSD COVID-19 Mental Health Awareness Volume I | Page 6

FINDING THE
POSITIVE after loss
At some point in our lives we will all experience loss. It may be the end of a relationship, being let
go from a job, losing a home, or the death of a loved one. It is natural to go through a grieving
process. By looking for opportunity in adversity or finding ways to remember the good things
about who or what we’ve lost, we can help ourselves to recover mentally and emotionally.
tips for getting by
Try to see your experience as strength. When bad things happen they can be
painful to go through, but as you continue to live your life without the person,
thing, or situation you once had, you become a stronger person. Going through
a loss and learning to carry on helps give you the skills to deal with tough
situations in the future.
Learn from others. You are not alone! There may be support groups in your
community to help you get through whatever loss or tragedy you’ve gone
through. If you’re not ready to talk about things face-to-face or can’t find the
right kind of support group, the internet is full of places where people gather
online to talk about their shared experiences. Share your story. Ask questions
about how other people got through tough times to remind yourself that if they
can do it, you can do it too.
Look for opportunity amid adversity. Sometimes loss opens us up to new
possibilities. You may feel guilty or selfish at first for exploring these thoughts,
but there is nothing wrong with looking for ways to improve or change your life
after something tragic has happened. The end of a romantic relationship or
death of someone that you had been caring for may free you up to spend more
time with friends or pursue interests that you’ve been putting on the back
burner. If you’ve lost your home to disaster, you might consider relocating to
that place you’ve always dreamed of living.
Remember the good times. When you’ve lost something you love, it is almost
automatic to focus on the pain that you are feeling about your loss. By
remembering the good times you had in a certain place, with a pet, or with a
person, you’re practicing gratitude for having had those experiences. It can be
even more helpful to have someone else who is sharing your loss join you in
reminiscing. Maybe you’ll even be able to share a laugh together.
You are not alone! Nearly
60% of people have
experienced a major loss in
the last 3 years.1
Healing takes time.
Following a loss, nearly half
of people said it took up to
6 months for their strong
feelings of grief to lessen.2
You might literally hurt.
Over 2/3 of people who
went through a
life-changing event had
physical symptoms while
they were grieving.3
If you feel like you are
struggling with your
mental health, visit
mhascreening.org to
check your symptoms.
Do what makes you happy. Pampering yourself can help you remember how
to feel good after dealing with a negative or tragic situation, and bring you back
to a place where you can appreciate all the positive things that life has to offer.
You might choose to do something exciting or something relaxing–it’s all about
doing whatever you love.
Find ways to honor your loss. By memorializing the loss of a loved one, you
help keep their memory alive. You may choose to create a fundraiser for a special
cause in their name, plant a tree in one of their favorite places, hang their
pictures in your home, create a memorial web page or Facebook page, do some
of the activities they enjoyed, or even get a tattoo that reminds you of them.
Don’t be afraid to get help. It’s perfectly normal to have trouble adjusting to
life after something bad has happened to you, but if you find it’s been weeks or
months and you can’t seem to function or just don’t know what to do to feel
better, it’s time to get help. Your employer may have an Employee Assistance
Program (EAP), you can get a referral for a mental health professional from your
primary care provider, or if you don’t have insurance you can look for services
with payment assistance at findtreatment.samhsa.gov.
Sources
1WebMD. (2019). Grief: Beyond the 5 Stages conducted by AmeriSpeak. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/special-reports/grief-stag-
es/20190711/the-grief-experience-survey-shows-its-complicated.
2Ibid.
3Ibid.
It’s free, confidential, and anonymous.
Once you have your results, MHA will
give you information and resources to
help you start to feel better.