• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Nathalie Himmelrich

Inspiring Hope | Finding healthy ways of Grieving | Writer

  • Books
    • NEW BOOK! Bridging The Grief Gap
    • Shop
      • My Account
    • Amazon shop
  • About Me
    • Media Links
    • Work with Me
      • Counselling and Coaching
  • Resources
    • Courses
      • May We All Heal 2022 – A New Beginning
    • Donate
    • Grievers Support
    • Supporters Resources
    • Grieving Parents Support Network
    • Grief Quotes (Downloads)
    • Free Downloads
  • Blog
  • Podcast
    • Listen Here
    • Show Notes
  • English

Grief: Emotional, Physical and Cognitive Reactions

January 8, 2014 By Nathalie Himmelrich Leave a Comment

teary eyes
Photo by Luis Galvez on Unsplash

No one is ever prepared to lose a loved one. Whether it was expected or not, it still comes accompanied by shock. Even though we know rationally that death is inescapable we always hope that it won’t or won’t yet happen.

Even though grief is an experience that feels like you are going crazy, there are a range of reactions and responses that are normal. Some of the possible reactions may be on the emotional, physical, cognitive, behavioral and spiritual level. ‘Normal’ does however not mean that they are in any way easy to experience.

In the following article we will look at the emotional, physical and cognitive reactions.

Emotional reactions may include

  • Sadness
  • Shock
  • Anger
  • Guilt
  • Jealousy
  • Anxiety and fear
  • Shame
  • Relief
  • Feeling powerless and hopeless or helpless
  • Feeling irritable and frustrated
  • Loneliness
  • Yearning/Longing
  • Numbness
  • Depression
  • Lack of control
  • Resentment
  • “Grief Attacks”

Often, it is normal that as a bereaved person you experience all kinds of emotional reactions, even contradictory ones at the same time. You might not know yourself reacting in that way normally and struggle with self-judgment.

The main and important point to stress here is that emotional reactions are just one way in which grief may be expressed. It does not have to be the best and only way to work through the grieving process.

Physical reactions may include

  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Tiredness
  • Loss of appetite
  • Insomnia
  • Sensitivity to various stimuli, in particular noise
  • Muscular tension
  • Exhaustion
  • Pain
  • Lack of energy
  • Tightness in chest
  • Shortness of breath

Physical pains are often a way to channel grief’s energy. Most people experience one or many of the physical symptoms and some even predominantly experience grief physically. Again, physical reactions are just one way and neither better or worse than emotional reactions.

If you experience physical ailments it is advisable to get them checked out and exclude any other causes. Also remember that exercise is a good means to deal with stress.

Cognitive reactions may include

  • Disbelief
  • Obsessive thinking
  • Apathy or numbness
  • Being unable to concentrate and remember
  • Looping thinking and continuous ‘what if’ scenarios
  • Disorientation and confusion
  • Lack of motivation and focus
  • Impaired judgment
  • Thinking about wanting to find a culprit or damage something to ease the pain
  • Dreaming
  • Diminished self-concern
  • Emptiness
  • Replaying images of loss

Cognitive reactions are another way to try and make some sense of the loss. Asking yourself the “Why?” questions is part of this level and it very common, not just in the immediate time after the loss of your loved one.

Talking, whether that is with your partner, a friend or family member or with a professional has been found to be helpful in reducing and dealing with obsessive thinking.

Often people who show cognitive reactions but lack emotional responses have been thought not to grieve ‘properly’. This is not the case. Neither way is better or worse, they are just different. Be mindful not to impose your way of grieving onto another person.

Filed Under: child loss, depression, grief/loss Tagged With: cognitive grief reaction, emotional grief reaction, grief reaction, physical grief reaction

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Cart

Subscribe for updates
    Built with ConvertKit
    Nathalie Himmelrich

    I accompany people therapeutically as a holistic counsellor and coach.

    I walk alongside people dealing with the challenges presented by life and death.

    I’m also a writer and published author of multiple grief resource books and the founder of the Grieving Parents Support Network.

    Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Affiliate Disclosure

    Copyright © 2012 - 2022 Nathalie Himmelrich | All Rights Reserved

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    Save & Accept