How to Handle Anticipatory Grief

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Experience your emotions.

   It’s common to have mixed emotions when anticipating grief.
   
   You might feel sad, anxious, angry, depressed, or in denial.
   
   If you notice your emotions emerging, let yourself experience them.
   
   Don’t push down your emotions or try to ignore them.
   
   Acknowledge them and express them.It’s never fun to deal with painful or difficult emotions.
   
   Let your feelings out by playing or listening to music, journaling, and bringing awareness to how you feel.
   
   Avoid numbing your feelings with alcohol, drugs, binge-eating, over-exercising, or other compulsive and possibly destructive behaviors.
   
   It is tempting to try and escape the pain by engaging in mood-altering substances, but this will only lead to greater difficulties in the future.
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   Step 2: Anticipate grief coming out in unexpected ways.

   You might experience grief in strange or unexpected ways, and notice that you tear up or cry in response to mundane things, oversleep, overeat, or experience other changes.
   
   If you feel like you have no control of your emotions or surprise yourself in your moods, know that it’s okay to experience grief in these ways.
   
   Recognize that the grief may come out in these ways., Questions about why good people die, what happens in death, and how much a person suffers might arise in your grief.
   
   You may derive comfort from a spiritual or religious tradition.
   
   You may wish to lean on traditions for strength and comfort during the difficult time.Get involved in a spiritual and religious center as a way to get support.
   
   If the person is in hospice care, they may offer resources for you (and your loved one) as you explore these concepts. , One difficult part of anticipatory grief is adjusting to the changes that come from loss.
   
   For example, you may begin to adjust your life to not having the person in it any longer, or take on new roles as a result of their absence.
   
   You might feel like by adjusting to these changes that you’re accepting your impending loss and feel guilty.It’s okay to meet your needs and live your life during this time. , Some people feel relief as their loved one nears death.
   
   Perhaps you’ve been under strain from caretaking for your loved one and now you feel relief that the end is near.
   
   This might lead to feelings of guilt over the perceived burden of caretaking.
   
   Feeling relief is normal and nothing for which you should feel ashamed of or guilty.
   
   It’s okay to acknowledge your feelings and not feel bad about them.
   
   You can feel relieved of stress and duty and still love your loved one.
   
   Just because you feel relief does not mean you don’t care about someone.
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   Step 3: Confront your own beliefs about death

4. 4

   Step 4: and the afterlife.

5. 5

   Step 5: Adjust to changes.

6. 6

   Step 6: Acknowledge relief and guilt.

Detailed Guide

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