Crisis and grief
Crisis and grief can sadly affect anyone, being inevitable human responses to painful life experiences. Therefore they are not considered illnesses as such, but rather something natural that usually resolves over time, with the support of friends and family.
However, crises can become overwhelming or difficult to overcome, impacting our ability to function in everyday life. In these cases, further support from a psychologist or doctor may be necessary.
APPOTEK can help you with grief counselling.
Causes
Crisis and grief may occur for a variety of reasons, such as sudden and unexpected accidents, illness, deaths or natural disasters.
Changes in life, like divorce, moving house, losing a job or getting a new job, can also trigger grief and a crisis state, as can increased demands or conflicts in private or working life.
Symptoms
Different people are affected in different ways when they experience crisis or grief, and there is no “right way” to react. Often it can feel like you are in a storm of emotions. For example, it is common to experience fear, anger, despair, disappointment, despondency and anxiety. Other common reactions are:
- Feelings of emptiness
- Mood swings
- Being close to tears
- Concentration difficulties
- Changed sleep patterns
- Changed appetite
- Fatigue and energy loss
Treatment
Since crisis and grief are natural reactions and not disease states, there is no specific treatment. Dealing with grief is a process that takes time. Many people go through crises with the help of relatives and friends. But if you feel that this is not enough and that you cannot handle the situation you are facing, you may need professional support from a psychologist. Here you can get help by talking through and finding strategies for dealing with your problem.
Sometimes there may also be a need for medical treatment, for example, with sleep problems.
When to consult a doctor
If you are in grief or crisis and find it difficult to manage on your own, or if support from your relatives is not enough, you can turn to a doctor or psychologist for help.
If you are feeling acutely bad, have suicidal thoughts or want to injure yourself or someone else, you should seek urgent psychiatric care.
How APPOTEK can help
APPOTEK’s licensed psychologists can help you with grief counselling. If needed, you can also see a doctor to get help with temporary medication for sleep problems.
Please note that APPOTEK is not suitable for acute conditions or more severe problems requiring contact with psychiatry. Therefore, if you are feeling suicidal or want to injure yourself or someone else, you should seek urgent psychiatric care.
