IT HURTS SO MUCH: Anxiety and Painful joints during Bereavement
ANXIETY DISORDER: significant and continual negative thoughts, feelings, sensations and urges that disrupt quality of life.
Grieving individuals/couples/families know that grief hurts. Not just mentally. In fact, many people are finding that they are even more sensitive to physical pain when they suffer from anxiety and stress during bereavement. Our bodies begin to feel pain from stress and trauma just as our mind and emotions do. It is not wrong or “crazy” to be feeling extreme fatigue, painful joints, sore muscles or frequent head aches and stomach aches. You may find yourself feeling pain in response to suffering from grief and loss which can lead to panic attacks and anxiety disorders. So, what should you do when your quality of life begins to suffer from anxiety during bereavement?
Here are three things to consider when you begin experiencing symptoms after the death of a loved one.
1. Grief and loss issues are hard on the body as well as the mind. Grief counseling can be more effective than medication in the long term by learning proper responses to anxiety during bereavement. Behavioral changes that can reduce anxiety, like breathing techniques , self talk , meditation, have been proven to reduce stress and anxiety even more than medication. Some of my clients discontinued medication eventually, and reported a lower rate of pain, depression and fatigue.
2. Prescription meds may be recommended during the grief process, but may have many negative side effects. Some prescription meds can be addictive and can become an unhealthy way of coping with grief. Many of my clients report nightmares, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, nausea, sexual dysfunctions as well as heart palpitations, paranoia and severe insomnia from self medicating, over medicating or wrong medication. Grief is a natural part of life. Some times medications are not needed. Check with your doctor or therapist. Remember, if you decide on medication for grief issues, it will be temporary and is usually helpful for 6-12 months.
3. Many medications have not been fully studied, and for adolescents or pregnant women, this can be very harmful. If you are on medication it is important to check with your doctor or therapist as often as possible to check dosage, frequency and talk about side effects. If you have current or past substance abuse issues, you may need to find alternative counseling for anxiety and grief.
GRIEF COUNSELING CAN BE A BIG HELP TO ALLEVIATE ANXIETY/DEPRESSION, PAIN and FATIGUE.
Glen Mills Counseling specializes in holistic counseling. Call now for a confidential/private screening or assessment.
610.656.1424
