Sadness & Grieving


Overview

Sadness & Grieving: symptoms of emotional conditions concerning loss.

We have many symptoms to present. Depression was chosen to start because of our belief that depression is epidemic in our western world. The very close second choice was sadness and grieving. Depression is usually part of sadness and grieving, but one can be depressed and not experience great sadness and grieving. Since depression is one of the 10 stages of grieving, it was chosen with this mindset taken from our experiences; that is, if one embraces the repressed anger and does the anger work then the grieving work is somewhat easier. With these things in mind, we suggest that you go through the modality on depression and then come back to grieving. If you understand how the organs are the storage places of emotions, you can couple depression with grieving and start the healing sounds, inner smile, and healing light work for both the lungs and the liver.

At this time we will present the 10 stages to grieving. Can you see how they fit?


  1. Shock Anesthetized against the overwhelming loss. Not comprehending and not able to face the full magnitude of it.
  2. Emotional Release Beginning to realize how dreadful the loss is. Venting or releasing these feelings is better than trying to repress them.
  3. Depression, Loneliness and Utter Isolation Feeling of hopelessness and helplessness. In the depths of despair. This is normal, but see a doctor, or seek support or counseling, if this feeling lasts too long.
  4. Physical Symptoms of Distress "Ill" with symptoms related to the loss. Best help is to understand the grief process.
  5. Panic Convinced "something is wrong with me" as a person, can concentrate on little else. May fear losing mind. Best help is to understand that other grief-stricken feel the same.
  6. Guilt Feelings May recall own past neglect, mistreatment or wrong to the deceased. Wrongs may be imaginary or exaggerated, but they may be real wrongs with real guilt. Confession and unburdening of real guilt gives best relief. Forgiveness of real wrongs as if they were imaginary is no adequate solution.
  7. Hostility Feeling better leads to expressing self more actively. Hostile expressions toward those who "caused" the loss are common. Such hostilities are normal, but not to be encouraged.
  8. Inability to Renew Normal Activities Cannot get back to "business as usual" and must now bear loss alone since others are back to normal activities. Need encouragement to face new realities.
  9. Gradual Overcoming of Grief Emotional balance returns little by little, like healing of a physical wound. Rate varies with individual.
  10. Readjustment to the New Realities Not "old self again" because there is a new situation, but stronger, deeper, better for having faced and overcome the disaster.


The first step:

LOCATION OF SYMPTOMS
The symptoms of sadness & grieving very often are revealed at the following four levels:

  1. Physical body
  2. Emotional
  3. Mental
  4. Spiritual

The physical body can develop many symptoms as the result of grieving. Many of these symptoms fit the emotion. Inability to focus, asthma, coughing, bronchitis, heaviness in the chest, colds, lack of energy, loss of appetite, sleep disorders, etc.

The emotions associated with grieving usually manifest in the lungs. Crying, sadness, fear, anger, hopelessness, guilt are some of the expected emotions.

Mental symptoms of grieving are loss of focus, maybe thinking that there's something wrong with yourself like losing your mind, and inability to face the new realities.

The spiritual symptoms of grieving are being disconnected from Spirit & God--feeling all alone. Sometimes, when we address depression and grieving, we find anger towards the deceased and God. God, how could you let this happen? How could you take this person (thing) from me? Orthodoxy has, in someways, made this a bigger issue. We are not supposed to be angry at God, right? So we deny the anger because that's not acceptable.

The Causes of the Symptoms

The second step:

The next step is to determine the causes of the symptoms. Below is a list of four areas that create situations that cause depression, sadness and grieving. Take a moment and write down on a piece of paper all the factors that you think are causing your depression. Use the questions below as your guide.

CAUSES OF SYMPTOMS
Where did the causes of depression, sadness & grieving come from?

  1. Genetics (Sins of the Father)
  2. Karma
  3. Environment (Culture)
  4. Dynamics of the Family System & Programming

Genetics
Were you born with these conditions?
Does this condition exist in your family's history?

Karma
If we resolve depression and loss in this life, then it is resolved in past lifes.

Environment
Has any of these things contributed to your anger (depression) and grieving: peer group, work, our system of laws, government, your neighborhood, schools, churches, culture, etc. Has any of these things contributed to your losses?

The Dynamics of the Family System & Programming
Am I depressed and grieving over a loss?
This could mean any loss-death, divorce, friendships (relationships), or things. The system we all have come out of promotes depression and grieving.

What losses do you feel you've experienced as a result of your family?
What childhood losses? Am I hyper-vigilant? Super sympathetic?

Where does the sadness and grieving go?

Promoting your own well-being involves identification of the causes of a given condition and the awareness of symptoms which may result. After we identify the symptoms and have evaluated the causes we may then go to our modality of healing which will include treatment and technique for the four levels of healing: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Concern with the whole person is essential in our Healing Modality for Sadness & Grieving.

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