Grief is something that everyone will experience sometime in their life. When people think of grief, they usually think of the death of a loved one. However, grief can happen in many more cases. Grief is defined as deep sorrow. This can come in many forms, including death, divorce, job loss, health issues, etc.
The symptoms of grief vary from person to person and it has been discovered that despite past ideas of thought, grief is an individualized experience. Grief can cause sadness and the person may have trouble enjoying things that they once did. These are symptoms similar to that of depression. Grief, as opposed to depression, will begin to lessen and the person will begin to feel less sad and will start to enjoy the things they enjoyed before. Depression tends to be prolonged feelings of sadness and can disrupt daily functioning.
| SYMPTOMS OF GRIEF | SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION |
| * Change in appetite *Sleep disturbance *Fatigue/exhaustion *Tearfulness *Difficulty concentrating *Avoidance of people and situations *Suicidal thoughts or actions *Anger, sadness, loneliness *Feelings of hopelessness *Neglect of hygiene *Loss of interest in work and activities *Anger at self, deceased person, God | *Depressed mood or irritability *Loss of interest or pleasure in activities *Loss of appetite, significant weight loss *Sleeping too much or not enough *Sluggish movements *Fatigue, loss of energy *Feelings of worthlessness, guilt *Indecisiveness, difficulty concentrating *Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide *Significant impairment in functioning |
Grief and depression can look almost identical. It is important to understand that depression is something that is prolonged and does not show improvement. Grief will begin to improve and should not cause a disrupt in functioning for a prolonged amount of time. If you feel that you may be experiencing depression, or are unsure if your grief is healthy, please reach out for help to a counselor, mentor, or trusted friend.
