Overcoming emotional losses

What Causes Emotional Pain And Emotional Losses?

Emotional losses is Losing someone or something you love or care deeply about is very painful. You may experience all kinds of difficult emotions and it may feel like the pain and sadness you’re experiencing will never let up. These are normal reactions to a significant loss. But while there is no right or wrong way to grieve, there are healthy ways to cope with the pain that, in time, can renew you and permit you to move on.

Many people experience emotional trauma and emotional losses during their childhood due to a variety of factors such as neglect, abuse, abandonment, or loss of parent. Emotional pain and emotional losses during adulthood may occur due to the end of a relationship, divorce, loss of a loved one, being a victim of crime, substance abuse, retrenchment or loss of employment.

Often, where severe trauma is experienced, the person may be continuously haunted by recurring nightmares and mental images, as in the case of a war veteran or a rape victim.

Others who suffer from emotional pain and emotional losses may find themselves unable to stop dwelling on past hurts and disappointments, and may struggle to let go of the painful memories. They may find themselves in a cycle of guilt and punishment – reliving the event over and over again in their minds.

If You Feel Stuck in Grief and emotional losses

While most bereaved people are resilient and bounce back from their loss on their own, some get stuck in grief and emotional losses and may be helped with therapy. The counselling may involve telling their story of loss, with the therapist sometimes helping the person to re-frame her experience in a more accurate and positive way. The therapist can also help the person to develop new goals and re-engage with life.
We sometimes see similar grief reactions in people in our program, who may dwell on their losses and experience a sense of helplessness. Sometimes being in a group with other people who have CFS and FM is enough to inspire a fresh view of their situation. Feeling understood and having models of success adjustment provides the motivation to create a new life. At other times, however, the individual attention provided by professional help can be crucial.
We also see people come out the other side of grief and emotional losses, accepting their new life and energized by new opportunities. As one person in our program said, “my life now is better than it was before I got sick; the positives far outweigh the negatives.”