WHY IS GRIEF SO HARD TO DEAL WITH? - Hope Beyond Our Grief

Death of a loved one is an experience that is incomparable to other life events. It’s often unexpected and it’s not wanted. Loss is also permanent, which can make it feel like the pain of grief will last forever. This is why it’s important to seek out community and grief resources, like our grief support group curriculum, to help with handling grief.

What makes grief so hard?

It’s unexpected. Death is unexpected. Even if a loved one is sick or older, their passing can’t be predicted. When you lose a loved one, your whole world changes in an unpredictable instant. You can go from having them by your side, to feeling like a piece of you is missing.

Grief is especially difficult when you lose someone that you live with or that you see every day. Your routine or home can feel like a constant reminder that your loved one is no longer with you.

It’s not what you want. Losing someone important in our lives is dreaded. It’s not something that we wish for and it’s not enjoyable. It’s easy to feel hopeless and devastated.

It’s permanent. When you break a bone, you know it’s temporary. You understand that it will heal and that you won’t experience the pain and discomfort forever.

Unlike many things that bring us pain and discomfort, death is not temporary. Once a loved one has passed, it can’t be undone. This permanence causes most people think that they will feel the pain of the initial grief forever, even though that’s not the case.

This is why you need constant encouragement from the people around you. Community is important so that you can find hope during grief.

You are not alone

Know that you are not alone during grief. Finding community in friends, neighbors, and others close to you is helpful when grieving. Additionally, going to grief counseling and attending grief support groups can provide you with tools for handling the loss of a loved one.

We offer a bible-centered grief support group curriculum called “Why, What If, If Only.” This study included DVDs, guided notes for group leaders, and helpful resources for group members. Powerful testimonies are included in each session throughout the study. It is an excellent curriculum for grief support groups to work through.