Chronic Illness, Grief and Loss - General Developmental
Chronic Illness, Grief and Loss - General
Chronic illness has the ability to affect you in more ways than just medically. In fact, it can impact you psychologically. The degree of impact is dependent on the person's personality and the circumstances before the diagnosis. Support structure plays an important role on a person's ability to cope, but oftentimes, a person has to go through various stages of dealing with the condition before they are able to adjust to the realities of the chronic illness.
When a person is diagnosed with a chronic illness, he or she will go through a number of stages similar to the stages of grief. Denial, disbelief and shock are just some of the emotions a person experiences when a diagnosis is made, and it's natural for them to resist major changes. Eventually, they will become exhausted, when all they really want to do is to recover. At that point, fear and anxiety will set in and worry in the face of uncertainty of the future.
Sadness, grief and depression are common emotions when they consider the possibility of lost goals, hopes and dreams. Losing independence is a real fear, which becomes inevitable if an illness progresses and that brings about the fear of being a burden to loved ones, which brings on more anger, resentment and even shame.
Counselling can help a person to deal with the emotions relating to chronic illness and to cope with the stress and anxieties of accepting and coping with life changes. It will help to regain personal control over life and yourself.
If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who works with in chronically ill individuals you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.
Grief is a natural part of dealing with the loss of a loved one, or a situation, or a way in which we see ourselves. Loss requires that we change the way things used to be and find a new way to restructure our lives accordingly. It's common for people to fear change, particularly if a part of us, or a person we loved deeply, is no longer there. It leaves a gap that has to be filled, but nothing can replace the person who has left us behind.
People deal with loss in many different ways, but the desired end result is the same - trying to piece together the puzzle to the best of our ability, without the missing piece. We also go through the various stages of grief at varying speeds and intensities. Dealing with all the emotions that form part of grief is what makes support so very important.
Time is of the essence during the grieving period, and something we sometimes tend to rush. That's why it's so useful to speak to a therapist who does grief counselling during this time.
A therapist will help you understand that what you are feeling is completely normal and even expected. Medical professionals are aware of the wide range of natural responses to grief and loss and are generally reluctant to diagnose mental illness while a person is in a period of bereavement. However, if depression is present, medication is likely to be prescribed.
Grief therapy will help you to accept the loss and be able to talk about it without breaking down. You will learn to identify and express your emotions regarding the loss and learn to make decisions without your loved one.
If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist does grief counselling to address your grief and loss you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.
Note: You may narrow your search by selecting more than one filter below.
- (-) Remove Chronic Illness filterChronic Illness
- (-) Remove Grief and Loss - General filterGrief and Loss - General
- Abuse - Emotional, Physical, Sexual (4)Apply Abuse - Emotional, Physical, Sexual filter
- Addictions - Including Substances (1)Apply Addictions - Including Substances filter
- Anxiety and/or Panic (7)Apply Anxiety and/or Panic filter
- Autism and Developmental Disorders (1)Apply Autism and Developmental Disorders filter
- Bullying - Workplace (1)Apply Bullying - Workplace filter
- Cancer Care and Support (3)Apply Cancer Care and Support filter
- Caregiver Support (2)Apply Caregiver Support filter
- Chronic Pain (2)Apply Chronic Pain filter
- Compassion Fatigue (1)Apply Compassion Fatigue filter
- COVID-19 Stress, Anxiety and Depression (1)Apply COVID-19 Stress, Anxiety and Depression filter
- Creativity (1)Apply Creativity filter
- Cross Cultural Issues (2)Apply Cross Cultural Issues filter
- Death and Dying (3)Apply Death and Dying filter
- Depression (7)Apply Depression filter
- Divorce and/or Separation (1)Apply Divorce and/or Separation filter
- Eating Disorders (1)Apply Eating Disorders filter
- Family Caregiver Stress (2)Apply Family Caregiver Stress filter
- Family Issues (4)Apply Family Issues filter
- First Nations Issues (1)Apply First Nations Issues filter
- Gender Identity Issues (1)Apply Gender Identity Issues filter
- Grief and Loss - Pets (1)Apply Grief and Loss - Pets filter
- Grief and Loss - Prenatal (1)Apply Grief and Loss - Prenatal filter
- Intimacy Issues (1)Apply Intimacy Issues filter
- LGBTQ Issues (1)Apply LGBTQ Issues filter
- Life Transitions (4)Apply Life Transitions filter
- Marriage and/or Relationship Issues (4)Apply Marriage and/or Relationship Issues filter
- Parent/Teen Conflict (1)Apply Parent/Teen Conflict filter
- Perfectionism (2)Apply Perfectionism filter
- Personal Growth (6)Apply Personal Growth filter
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (3)Apply Post Traumatic Stress Disorder filter
- Postpartum Depression (1)Apply Postpartum Depression filter
- Procrastination (1)Apply Procrastination filter
- Professional Burnout (1)Apply Professional Burnout filter
- Religious/Spiritual trauma (1)Apply Religious/Spiritual trauma filter
- Self-Esteem Issues (4)Apply Self-Esteem Issues filter
- Sexual Assault (2)Apply Sexual Assault filter
- Sexuality (1)Apply Sexuality filter
- Spirituality (3)Apply Spirituality filter
- Stress Management (2)Apply Stress Management filter
- Suicide Bereavement (2)Apply Suicide Bereavement filter
- Trauma Counselling (7)Apply Trauma Counselling filter
- Unwanted Habits (1)Apply Unwanted Habits filter
- Weight Loss (1)Apply Weight Loss filter
- Women's Issues (5)Apply Women's Issues filter
- Workplace Issues (1)Apply Workplace Issues filter
- (-) Remove Relational Psychotherapy filterRelational Psychotherapy
- Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (2)Apply Acceptance & Commitment Therapy filter
- AEDP (1)Apply AEDP filter
- Body Centred Psychotherapy (3)Apply Body Centred Psychotherapy filter
- Body Centred Therapy (1)Apply Body Centred Therapy filter
- Brief Therapy (1)Apply Brief Therapy filter
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) (5)Apply Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) filter
- Communication Skills Training (1)Apply Communication Skills Training filter
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (4)Apply Dialectical Behaviour Therapy filter
- EMDR (1)Apply EMDR filter
- Emotion Focused Therapy (1)Apply Emotion Focused Therapy filter
- Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) (1)Apply Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) filter
- Emotionally Focused Therapy - Individuals (1)Apply Emotionally Focused Therapy - Individuals filter
- Energy Psychotherapy (2)Apply Energy Psychotherapy filter
- Existential-Humanistic (4)Apply Existential-Humanistic filter
- Expressive Arts Therapies (1)Apply Expressive Arts Therapies filter
- Family Systems (2)Apply Family Systems filter
- Family Therapy (1)Apply Family Therapy filter
- Feminist Psychotherapy (1)Apply Feminist Psychotherapy filter
- Gestalt Therapy (1)Apply Gestalt Therapy filter
- In Person Counselling (2)Apply In Person Counselling filter
- Internal Family Systems (2)Apply Internal Family Systems filter
- Marriage & Couples Counselling (1)Apply Marriage & Couples Counselling filter
- Mindfulness approaches (6)Apply Mindfulness approaches filter
- Motivational Interviewing (1)Apply Motivational Interviewing filter
- Narrative Therapy (5)Apply Narrative Therapy filter
- Online / Virtual / Telehealth Counselling (5)Apply Online / Virtual / Telehealth Counselling filter
- Process Work (1)Apply Process Work filter
- Psychedelic Assisted Therapy (1)Apply Psychedelic Assisted Therapy filter
- Psycho-Educational Groups (1)Apply Psycho-Educational Groups filter
- Solution Focused Therapy (2)Apply Solution Focused Therapy filter
- Somatic Approaches (1)Apply Somatic Approaches filter
- Somatic Transformation (1)Apply Somatic Transformation filter
- Telephone Counselling (1)Apply Telephone Counselling filter
- Transpersonal (1)Apply Transpersonal filter
- Video Counselling (3)Apply Video Counselling filter