What Does Grief Look Like? Identifying the Symptoms of Grief
Most professionals agree that when a person faces a significant loss, many predictable reactions will occur.
While you or those close to you may not have all of the following symptoms when facing Alzheimer's Disease, you will most likely observe some or most of them.
This isn't just emotional "foolishness.
" A cascade of bio-chemical reactions occurs when we are in grief.
Receiving news about a chronic, progressive disease like Alzheimer's will create a grief response.
Sometimes, if you know what to expect, it's not quite as bad when it happens.
If these symptoms impair or limit daily functioning, please consult your physician or a mental health practitioner.
Behaviors Hyperactivity (like suddenly wanting to clean your house when that's not your norm) Restlessness Apathy Fatigue Compulsive Crying You may adopt traits of the lost person (It's eerie to see this.
) Emotions Numb, "hollow" feeling/ Sense of not being oneself Anger (Some people become very angry at the patient for abandoning them) Sadness Guilt (Some people become guilt ridden with things done and things not done) Flatness of affect (no emotion, usually monotone voice) Not wanting to do things you used to enjoy Physical Responses Hypersensitivity Irritability or physical numbness (your skin hurts or suddenly you don't want to be touched) Sleep disturbance (too little sleep is dangerous) Appetite disturbance (eating too little is dangerous) Fatigue and Weakness Interpersonal Responses Social Avoidance/ Isolation (this can be extremely dangerous after the trauma of loss) Stiffness or mechanical social responses Over-sensitiveness ("walking on egg shells") Thinking or Cognitive Functioning (This is a significant area that most psychologists use to evaluate for depression) Lowered functioning (like losing your car keys when that's not your norm) Slowness in thought Short term memory problems Short attention span Poor concentration Obsession with lost person Imagery These are the pictures that come to mind for little or no outside reason.
"Invasive" images of lost person Preoccupation with images Waves of distress (This is a big one and it leads to the next item...
) Fear of going crazy Drugs Some people attempt to use illicit drugs and alcohol to alleviate symptoms.
This may feel like it works short-term, but then it makes the problems much worse.
A useful behavior when confronting the grief of Alzheimer's Disease: Engage in light exercise with someone close to you.
For example, WALK WITH A FRIEND! This tends to regulate and correct sleep patterns, appetite and the social aspects of the grief cycle.
While you or those close to you may not have all of the following symptoms when facing Alzheimer's Disease, you will most likely observe some or most of them.
This isn't just emotional "foolishness.
" A cascade of bio-chemical reactions occurs when we are in grief.
Receiving news about a chronic, progressive disease like Alzheimer's will create a grief response.
Sometimes, if you know what to expect, it's not quite as bad when it happens.
If these symptoms impair or limit daily functioning, please consult your physician or a mental health practitioner.
Behaviors Hyperactivity (like suddenly wanting to clean your house when that's not your norm) Restlessness Apathy Fatigue Compulsive Crying You may adopt traits of the lost person (It's eerie to see this.
) Emotions Numb, "hollow" feeling/ Sense of not being oneself Anger (Some people become very angry at the patient for abandoning them) Sadness Guilt (Some people become guilt ridden with things done and things not done) Flatness of affect (no emotion, usually monotone voice) Not wanting to do things you used to enjoy Physical Responses Hypersensitivity Irritability or physical numbness (your skin hurts or suddenly you don't want to be touched) Sleep disturbance (too little sleep is dangerous) Appetite disturbance (eating too little is dangerous) Fatigue and Weakness Interpersonal Responses Social Avoidance/ Isolation (this can be extremely dangerous after the trauma of loss) Stiffness or mechanical social responses Over-sensitiveness ("walking on egg shells") Thinking or Cognitive Functioning (This is a significant area that most psychologists use to evaluate for depression) Lowered functioning (like losing your car keys when that's not your norm) Slowness in thought Short term memory problems Short attention span Poor concentration Obsession with lost person Imagery These are the pictures that come to mind for little or no outside reason.
"Invasive" images of lost person Preoccupation with images Waves of distress (This is a big one and it leads to the next item...
) Fear of going crazy Drugs Some people attempt to use illicit drugs and alcohol to alleviate symptoms.
This may feel like it works short-term, but then it makes the problems much worse.
A useful behavior when confronting the grief of Alzheimer's Disease: Engage in light exercise with someone close to you.
For example, WALK WITH A FRIEND! This tends to regulate and correct sleep patterns, appetite and the social aspects of the grief cycle.
