{"id":2703,"date":"2020-09-29T20:54:56","date_gmt":"2020-09-29T20:54:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stillpointcounselingandwellness.com\/?p=2703"},"modified":"2020-09-29T20:54:56","modified_gmt":"2020-09-29T20:54:56","slug":"grieving-the-loss-of-normalcy-during-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stillpointcounselingandwellness.com\/?p=2703","title":{"rendered":"Grieving the Loss of Normalcy During the Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the last six months, COVID-19 and its effects have completely rocked our world and lives as we know it. Although COVID-19 is an epidemiological crisis, the result and all the changes that have come with it is bringing about a new type of crisis- a mental health one. Along with feelings of anxiety, sadness or uneasiness, many of us might be feeling a sense of loss or grief. Grief is usually associated with the death of a loved one or the end of an important relationship, but with the Coronavirus pandemic many of us have experienced the loss of our normal lives. This can include the changes that have come with mask mandates, not being able to see loved ones due to social distancing, working remotely, job loss, distance learning, etc. Sherry Cormier, PhD and psychiatrist states \u201cit\u2019s important that we start recognizing that we\u2019re in the middle of this collective grief. We\u2019re all losing something now. There\u2019s a communal grief while we watch our work, health-care, education and economic systems- all of these systems we depend on-destabilize.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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If you\u2019ve been feeling the effects of this loss of normalcy but are confused as to why you\u2019re feeling that way, it\u2019s important to know you don\u2019t feel attachments only to other people. You might feel attached to your specific routine, your job, or going to certain places that you love like the gym or out to your favorite restaurant with your friends. Robert Neimeyer, PhD and director of the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition states <\/span>\u201cwe\u2019re capable of losing places, projects, possessions, professions and protections, all of which we may be powerfully attached to,\u201d he says. \u201cThis pandemic forces us to confront the frailty of such attachments, whether it\u2019s to our local bookstore or the routines that sustain us through our days.\u201d Many of the losses we\u2019re experiencing now are called ambiguous losses. Neimeyer explains these losses have a lack of a single ending point like death. Since there is no concrete end point for the pandemic and its subsequent lifestyle changes, it may be difficult to move forward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Signs and Symptoms of Grief<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some symptoms and signs you might be grieving.<\/span><\/p>\n