Memorials & Stories :
By those that have lost a loved one

STAGES OF GRIEF

There are four stages of grief as part of the mourning/healing process. The stages are:

• shock or denial
• sadness or depression
• anger
• acknowledgement and acceptance

Although the term "stages" refers to some orderly process of a time limited nature, mourning and healing are not a smooth progression and are not time limited.


TASKS OF GRIEVING

The first task of grieving is to acknowledge the reality of death, that the animal is gone and will not return.

The second task of mourning is to experience the pain of grief.

Task three of mourning involves adjusting to an environment in which the deceased is missing.

The fourth task is to withdraw emotional energy from the loved one and reinvest it in another relationship.

Following the loss, there is a broad range of feelings and behaviors comprising the symptoms of grief. Feelings include sadness, anger, guilt, anxiety, loneliness, helplessness, fatigue, shock, disbelief, yearning and sometimes relief.

Behavioral symptoms of grief include sleep disturbances, appetite disturbances, loss of concentration, social withdrawal, dreams of the lost pet, searching and calling out, sighing, restless over activity, crying and treasuring objects that belonged to the lost pet.

Physical symptoms and sensations often accompany a grief reaction. These physical sensations might include: hollowness in the stomach, tightness in the chest, tightness in the throat, over sensitivity to noise, a sense of depersonalization and not belonging, breathlessness, weakness in the muscles, lack of energy and dry mouth.

Surviving the loss of a pet requires a variety of coping strategies. Some of these strategies include:

• get lots of rest
• stick to your schedule
• keep decision making to a minimum
• seek support and comfort from others
• be gentle and pamper yourself
• keep a journal
• under indulge in addictive activities
• allow yourself your feelings
• ignore insensitive societal messages

• To complete the grieving process takes time.

 

Passages
Grief
Bentley
Memory of Shadow
Memory of Sparky
Prince and Natasha
For Bear
Memory of Jessica