By David Joel Miller.

Why Bereavement might require counseling.

Why Bereavement might require counseling.

Bereavement, the loss of someone close, is a normal part of life. How you react to that Bereavement determines if someone needs to see a counselor. We expect you to go through the process of grieving when they lose someone close to you. If you have difficulty with this process you might need to see a counselor.

Having certain other factors in your life may increase the need for professional help to deal with the bereavement.

Most people can navigate the bereavement process with the help of family, friends, and their faith-based community if they have a particular faith. We expect you to think about the departed person, be sad, and have some physical symptoms. Crying, loss of appetite, poor sleep, and even some weight loss are common in the early stages of bereavement. You may experience more or less of these symptoms. Some people can express this outwardly and some keep the pain inside.

You will probably never completely get over the loss and you are sure to always remember the loved one but at some point, you will begin to be able to return to your life as it was before they passed. You should still be able to work, be close to others among your family and friends, and find some things pleasurable to do.

If the symptoms go on too long they begin to look more like depression than normal grief. How long the bereavement process may take you depends on you and your culture. In American and most of the “western” culture, we expect this process to take 60 days or less. If it goes beyond that we need to look at how this loss is affecting you.

If you have had other problems in the past this may put you at high risk for Bereavement issues.  If you have a history of substance abuse issues, bereavement may be a trigger for you. The loss may increase the risk you will relapse. People with histories of mental health issues are also at increased risk when navigating grief and loss.

People with Co-occurring Disorders (dual-diagnosis) are at added risk and need to be making full use of their relapse prevention tools and their support systems during this time.

Experiencing depression, substance abuse episodes, or relapsing into episodes of either are reasons you may decide to seek therapy.

Some warning signs of bereavement problems are listed in the DSM. The symptoms (in my words) include 1. Excess guilt other than about things that happened around the time of the death. 2. Thoughts of death beyond just wishing you had died with or instead of them, especially any thoughts of suicide or allowing yourself to die. 3. Feeling worthless. 4. Sluggishness, lack of energy to do anything 5. Can’t work, be with family or friends or have fun 6. Hallucinations

Bereavement is a V code (in the DSM-5 now a Z code) and is not covered by some insurance plans but if you need help it is well worth the cost to see a counselor.

If you occasionally see the person briefly or hear their voice from time to time we let that go. Depending on your beliefs this may be a very normal experience. If you see or hear other things or this begins to interfere with your life than seek help.

I have used the terms grief and loss in this explanation of bereavement but there are other types of grief and loss besides bereavement. People grieve over lost loves, divorces, job loss, natural disasters, and many other things. None of those fall under the heading of bereavement and they may or may not meet criteria for treatment according to the DSM. But then many people who don’t have a specific diagnosis come to see a counselor, they just need help solving some of life’s problems.

While I can’t provide counseling or therapy via this blog I would love to hear from any of you who care to comment on this post about your experiences with Bereavement and how you moved past it. Questions on this topic or anything having to do with mental health, substance abuse or dual diagnosis are welcome.

Has Bereavement impacted your mental health, substance abuse, dual diagnosis, and how have you coped?

Staying connected with David Joel Miller

Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!

My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.

Story Bureau.

Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.

Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.

As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.

Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.

Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.

Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.

Planned Accidents  The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.

Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.

What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?

Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.

For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller

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