Your Post-Election Pain Is Real Grief

For more than half the nation and much of the world, we are in a period of mourning. After waking up to President-elect Donald J. Trump ― what many can only describe as a nightmare ― Americans face emotionally charged weeks and months ahead.  For those wondering how to face the oncoming days, it’s important to stop and acknowledge that this is an event that signifies a monumental loss. That post-election grief you’re feeling is real, and it’s every bit as legitimate as the pain that stems from a difficult breakup or the loss of a loved one. And that pain is certainly not something to be pushed away, minimized or rushed through, according to grief experts. Although we usually think of grieving ― defined as the psychological process of reacting to a loss ― as applying only to personal circumstances, it extends to many other types of loss. For many, this election is a good example. “Many people think of grief as specific to a death, but it’s much broader, and we grieve for all sorts of things,” Dr. Robert Zucker, a social worker, grief expert and author of The Journey Through Grief And Loss, told The Huffington Post. “There’s one definition of what we often grieve for, which seems to capture what a lot of us are feeling now: It’s a loss of hope, of expectation, illusions, what we projected would be the path we’d be on.”  Grieving a collective loss is personal. Many Americans are ex...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news