Is it normal to feel so many emotions at once?
Yes, the death of a loved one is a traumatic event and can trigger many emotions, even many at the same time. Common reactions to grief are:
- Crying (I can’t cry or will I ever stop crying)
- Anger (It’s not fair)
- Relief (I’m glad the suffering is over)
- Shock (I can’t take it in)
- Numbness (My body seems to be on ‘auto pilot’)
- Guilt (If only I could turn the clock back)
- Frustration (Why don’t people understand me?)
- Panic (How will I cope?)
- Depression (I don’t care anymore)
- Fear (What if I can’t cope?)
- Low Energy (I’m too tired)
- Confusion (I can’t think straight)
- Rejection (How could they do this to me?)
- Emptiness (I feel like something is always missing).
The main way to manage grief is to let these feelings come and to give yourself time to change to your new circumstances.