What Happens in a Grieving Process?
There isn’t one general behavior in the process. Each person will have different but similar responses. Generally, numbness is experienced. There is a disconnect to one’s emotions (you are unable to cry, feel, process emotions rationally and express emotions). Sometimes a person may express inappropriate emotions. For instance a child who just lost their mother may find themselves smiling a lot – as a way of hiding their true emotions even from the self. Some people will avoid places, topics of discussion, objects, and situations that remind them of the loss. A further disconnect is created. The reason behind this is that for some people, the grief is too much to bear and therefore they must protect themselves by creating a wall. If the grieving process goes smoothly, the person will slowly chip away at the wall until they are fully able to accept and feel the loss. Sometimes it doesn’t go smoothly and people find themselves stuck in life, unable to move forward and to live their life
