Grief & Loss

Grief is a natural response to loss. It can affect emotions, thoughts, relationships, sleep, appetite, concentration, energy, and even physical health. Although grief is often associated with the death of someone we love, people can grieve many kinds of losses.

There is no single correct way to grieve and no universal timetable for feeling better. Grief can change over time, come and go unexpectedly, and look very different from one person to another.

Clinically Reviewed by Dr. Angel Corbin, DBH, LPC, LAC

Certified Grief Counselor
Last reviewed: September 2026

Grief can involve many emotions, sometimes occurring at the same time or changing rapidly.

Common experiences during grief can include:

• Sadness or frequent crying
• Loneliness
• Anger or irritability
• Guilt or regret
• Anxiety or fear
• Emotional numbness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Changes in sleep or appetite
• Fatigue or lack of motivation
• Repeatedly thinking about the person or situation that was lost
• Withdrawing from other people
• Feeling disconnected from everyday life
• Physical sensations such as tightness, heaviness, nausea, or restlessness

Some people experience intense emotions immediately after a loss. Others initially feel numb and experience stronger emotions later.

Periods of feeling relatively normal do not mean someone has stopped grieving. Likewise, an unexpected reminder can bring strong emotions back even after considerable time has passed.

Grief is sometimes described through stages such as denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These ideas can help describe some experiences people have after a loss, but grief does not normally progress through a predictable sequence.

Someone may experience some of these reactions, all of them, or none of them. Feelings can repeat, overlap, disappear, and return.

There is also no deadline by which someone should have "moved on." Over time, many people find that grief becomes less disruptive and that they gradually adapt to life after a loss, while still maintaining memories and emotional connections to what they lost.

Grief can follow the death of a family member, spouse, partner, friend, child, or other important person, but bereavement is not the only circumstance that can produce grief.

People may also experience grief following:

• Divorce or the end of a relationship
• Pregnancy loss
• Loss of a pet
• Serious illness or disability
• Changes in independence or physical ability
• Loss of a job or career
• Retirement
• A child leaving home
• Moving away from a community
• Estrangement from a family member
• Major changes in family roles
• Caring for someone with a progressive illness
• Other major changes involving identity, relationships, health, or the future someone expected to have

A loss does not have to be recognized as significant by other people to create genuine grief.

Grief can begin before a loss actually occurs.

Anticipatory grief may occur when someone is living with a terminal illness, caring for a loved one with a progressive condition, facing the expected end of a relationship, or experiencing another situation in which a significant loss appears likely.

People experiencing anticipatory grief may feel sadness, anxiety, guilt, anger, helplessness, or conflicting emotions about what is happening and what may come next.

Grief and depression can share some features, including sadness, sleep changes, decreased appetite, difficulty concentrating, withdrawal, and reduced interest in activities.

They are not necessarily the same condition.

Grief is a natural response to loss and can include periods of positive emotion, connection, humor, and enjoyment even while significant sadness remains. Depression tends to involve more persistent changes in mood, interest, motivation, thinking, and functioning.

Grief and depression can also occur together.

A mental health or healthcare professional can help evaluate persistent or concerning symptoms when it is difficult to determine what someone is experiencing.

For some people, intense grief remains persistent and significantly interferes with everyday life long after a loss.

Prolonged Grief Disorder is a recognized mental health condition involving persistent and intense grief following the death of someone close, along with additional symptoms that cause significant distress or difficulty functioning.

Experiencing grief for a long time does not by itself mean someone has a disorder. Diagnosis depends on the nature, duration, severity, and impact of the symptoms and should be made by a qualified professional.

Grief can influence nearly every part of daily life.

Someone may have difficulty concentrating at work, keeping up with household responsibilities, sleeping normally, making decisions, maintaining relationships, or participating in activities they previously enjoyed.

Loss can also change family roles and relationships. Family members may grieve differently, creating misunderstandings even when everyone is responding to the same loss.

Birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, familiar places, songs, photographs, smells, and seemingly ordinary events can unexpectedly bring grief back to the surface.

Counseling does not attempt to erase grief or make someone forget the person or experience they lost.

Instead, counseling can provide a place to understand and express emotions, adjust to changes created by the loss, develop ways of coping with difficult moments, address guilt or unresolved feelings, and gradually rebuild parts of life that have been disrupted.

Depending on the individual, counseling may also address anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, changes in family roles, sleep problems, or other concerns occurring alongside grief.

The goal is not necessarily to "get over" a loss. For many people, the process involves learning how to carry the loss differently while continuing to live a meaningful life.

There is no requirement that someone seek counseling simply because they are grieving, and many people adapt to loss with support from family, friends, community, faith traditions, or other personal resources.

Counseling may be worth considering when grief feels overwhelming, continues significantly disrupting everyday functioning, contributes to increasing isolation, creates substantial conflict within relationships, or feels increasingly difficult to manage alone.

Some people seek counseling soon after a loss. Others decide they would benefit from support months or years later.

If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, believe you may harm yourself, or are in immediate danger, seek immediate help. In the United States, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If there is an immediate threat to life or safety, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Etheria Counseling provides outpatient counseling for grief, bereavement, loss, and related concerns.

Our clinicians work with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. Counseling can address grief itself as well as concerns that may accompany a significant loss, including depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship changes, family conflict, stress, and major life transitions.

Accepting New Clients

In-Person: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Telehealth: Throughout South Carolina
Ages: 6+
Insurance: Medicare, Medicaid, and major insurance plans
Self-Pay: Available

If grief or loss is affecting your life and you would like to talk with a counselor, Etheria Counseling is accepting new clients.

Call 843-868-6200 or use our online scheduling option to get started.

American Psychiatric Association
Prolonged Grief Disorder

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Depression

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Mental health and suicide crisis support