Symptoms of Grief
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Though each person grieves in unique ways, there are common behavioral, emotional, and physical signs and symptoms that people who are grieving typically experience.
- Physically, persons affected by grief may experience:
- Fatigue and exhaustion alternating with periods of high alertness and energy
- Temporary hearing loss or vision impairment (possibly associated with dissociation)
- Difficulty sleeping
- Disturbed appetite (either more appetite or less appetite than normal)
- Muscle tremors
- Chills and/or sweating
- Difficulty breathing or rapid respiration
- Increased heart rate or blood pressure
- Stomach and/or intestinal problems
- Nausea and/or dizziness
- Mentally, persons affected by grief may experience:
- Confusion (memory, concentration, judgment and comprehension difficulties)
- Intrusion (unwanted thoughts, arousal, nightmares)
- Dissociation (feeling of detachment and unreality, disorientation, denial)
- Emotionally, persons affected by grief may experience:
- Shock
- Fear, anxiety or apprehension
- Anger, irritability or agitation
- Guilt
- Numbness, remoteness, depression
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