Helping to deal with the impact of loss

Steps to ensuring you and your family are prepared

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Grief affects us all at one time or another in our lives— whether it be due to the death of a loved one or some other form ofloss.

"It is a normal emotion we feel as a response to loss," says Claire Collins, a bereavement coordinator with Marie Curie (www.mariecurie.org.uk).

"Throughout our lives we experience many different types of loss, such as relationship breakdowns, redundancy, financial, health and the death of a loved one.

"These losses can often lead to a further series of losses."

WHAT ARE THE COMMON SYMPTOMS OF GRIEF?

"Many symptoms of grief can be experienced after the loss of a loved one," says Claire. "The emotional responses include shock, numbness, denial, isolation, loneliness, sadness, anger, despair, emptiness, helplessness, fear and anxiety.

"We cannot 'see' these emotions, but there may be more obvious physical symptoms such as disrupted sleep (sleeping more or inability to sleep), loss of appetite, tearfulness, lethargy, panic attacks, increased susceptibility to colds and illness. These responses to loss are normal and do not last forever.