The Different Types of Trauma Explained

As we move into 2025, many seniors are considering a significant lifestyle shift: downsizing. This isn't just about getting rid of things; it's about creating a life that's lighter, more meaningful, and filled with freedom. Let's dive into how you can keep the memories that matter while letting go of the excess stuff that's no longer serving you.Why Downsizing Makes Sense in 2025Reclaim Your SpaceDownsizing gives you the opportunity to reclaim your living space. A smaller home or a decluttered environment can make your life more manageable and less stressful, allowing you to focus on what truly matters.Financial BenefitsReducing your living space often comes with lower costs. Whether it's a smaller mortgage, reduced utility bills, or less money spent on upkeep, downsizing can free up your finances for more enjoyable pursuits, like travel or hobbies.A Simpler LifeWith fewer belongings, everyday life becomes less complicated. Imagine spending less time cleaning and organizing and more time doing what you love with the people you care about.Keeping the Memories AliveOne of the biggest concerns when downsizing is losing sentimental items. But downsizing doesn't mean forgetting your past. Here are ways to keep the memories while letting go of the clutter:Digitize Important ItemsScan your photos, letters, and important documents. Digital storage is not only space-saving but also ensures that your memories are safe and easily accessible.Hold Onto Meaningful KeepsakesSelect a few special items that bring you joy and hold deep sentimental value. These could be family heirlooms, a favorite piece of art, or a small collection of cherished photographs.Share with Loved OnesPassing down items to family members can be a beautiful way to keep your memories alive. It allows your loved ones to cherish the items that have been part of your life story.The Freedom AwaitsLetting go of the excess can lead to a life filled with more intentional living. Downsizing opens doors to new opportunities, experiences, and a lighter, freer way of living.As you step into 2025, consider the benefits of downsizing. Keep the memories that warm your heart and let go of the stuff that's weighing you down. Embrace the freedom that comes with a simpler, more focused life.

Whether its losing a parent, losing a spouse, or losing a child, grief is a necessary process for closure. Grief is an emotion that can take many forms and show up in a variety of ways. There are many types of grief, such as complicated grief, chronic grief, anticipatory grief, disenfranchised grief, traumatic grief, unresolved grief, and normal grief, and while some people may experience the grieving process immediately, others might have whats known as a delayed grief response. Delayed grief occurs when the feelings associated with loss dont come for weeks, months, or even years after the event.Delayed grief can be hard to understand, and its not often talked about. Learning more about delayed grief and the symptoms and triggers that may cause it can help you, a family member, or a loved one navigate the grief process and start to heal. Continue reading to learn more about delayed grief. What is Delayed Grief?Delayed grief is an emotional response to loss that doesnt manifest until long after the initial event. It can be challenging to recognize because it often appears as if theres no reason for sadness or other emotions related to grieving. This type of delayed grief trigger can occur due to shock, denial, guilt, or simply being overwhelmed by the situation. Some studies suggest that not immediately processing grief wont always lead to delayed grief in the future, but more research is still needed. What triggers delayed grief?Several things can trigger delayed grief, including traumatic events like death or divorce, significant life changes such as moving away from home, and unresolved issues from childhood like physical or emotional abuse or neglect. Other potential triggers may include physical illness, financial problems, and relationship difficulties. Regardless of what triggers grief, its important to remember that everyone grieves differently. There is no right way to do so even if your feelings dont surface immediately after your loss.Wakanda Forever, the latest Black Panther film, addressed the death of the main character/actor Chadwick Boseman. The writers focused on what happens when we hold on to guilt and shame surrounding the loss. Those feelings are often turned into anger directed outwardly. Chadwicks death opened a larger conversation about grief. Talkspace therapist Dr. Karmen Smith LCSW DDSymptoms of Delayed GriefThe symptoms associated with delayed grief response are similar to those experienced during acute bereavement (the period immediately following a death). Symptoms of delayed grief may include: Intense emotions like:AngerGuiltDepression AnxietySadnessPhysical symptoms like: FatigueDifficulty concentratingChanges in appetiteSleep disturbancesWithdrawal from social activitiesFeeling overwhelmed by everyday tasksLack of motivation Energy levels dropping significantly lower than usualAdditionally, some people may experience intrusive thoughts about their deceased loved one, which can lead to flashbacks or nightmares. As these dreams or thoughts fade away when reality sets back in, they can trigger another grief response. Causes of Delayed GriefEven though its not unusual for people to experience delayed grief, it can be hard to understand why it happens. Here are some common causes of delayed grief:Youve had enough time after the lossSometimes, you need time to process your emotions before fully grieving. For example, when someone dies suddenly, you may not have had enough time to come to terms with their death and start grieving right away. Unfortunately, this means that your feelings may catch up with you later on down the line when you finally have enough space in your life for them.The busyness is overAnother cause of delayed grief is related to the busyness that takes over following a loss. Taking care of practical matters like funeral arrangements, sorting out finances, and reaching out to friends and family might not leave much time for processing emotions. Then, once everything else has been taken care of, theres nothing left but you and your feelings. This can lead to intense bouts of delayed grief surfacing in the future.Youre faced with sudden remindersSometimes reminders from everyday life can trigger an unexpected wave of grief, according to studies. You might hear a song that reminds you of your lost loved one. You may see something they used to enjoy doing. These sudden interactions could bring up emotions without warning even if its been months since their passing.How to Deal With Delayed Grief: 6 TipsDelayed grief can begin weeks, months, or even years after the death of a loved one. Its important to acknowledge that delayed grief is just as valid and authentic as immediate grief. However, because of this (sometimes extensive) gap between loss and grief starting, it can be challenging to know how to navigate this time. Here are six tips on how best to deal with this type of complicated emotion:1. Find supportReach out for help if needed so you dont feel alone during this difficult period. Talk openly about what youre going through with people wholl listen without judgment, such as close friends and family members who knew your lost loved one.  2. Seek grief counselingIf talking doesnt seem enough, consider seeking professional help with online grief counseling. Therapists trained in bereavement counseling can offer advice tailored to help you manage intense emotions stemming from delayed grief.3. Practice mindfulnessSome quiet moments each day dedicated to activities like yoga, mindfulness meditation, or journaling can help clear your mind while allowing space for reflection. These acts can bring clarity to thoughts and emotions, potentially making healing easier.4. Be kind to yourselfRemember that theres no right way when it comes down to grieving, so allow yourself to take all the time necessary, without any pressure from anyone else. Self-care means not pushing yourself too hard, either. Get plenty of rest, eat healthy meals, and do something you enjoy daily. It can even be small things, like watching your favorite movie or walking in your favorite neighborhood.5. Let yourself feelAllow yourself to fully experience all the different emotions connected with losing someone. Dont suppress your feelings or think you need to move on quickly. Its ok to cry, shout, and scream do whatever feels right for you because, eventually, those feelings will start to fade naturally once you express them.Its important to know that the way you go through the loss of a loved one may look different from another person. There could be times when people may think you are not grieving the way they think you should. This is where self-awareness comes in. If you are aware that your view of the world has gotten more dark, scary or less loving after your loss, then you could be stuck in one of the stages of grief and may need help to move through it. Talkspace therapist Dr. Karmen Smith, LCSW, DD6. Honor the lossLastly, find ways to honor the memory of the person you lost. This could mean creating a photo album full of pictures together, writing a poem, holding a memorial, or doing something meaningful that was important to them. Sharing stories with others can keep your loved ones legacy alive forever, and that can help you move through the grieving process. Many people focus on what they have lost, and there may not be much healing. Switching their focus to what they gained from that person being in their life can bring huge healing. Talkspace therapist Dr. Karmen Smith LCSW DDAddress Your Grief with TalkspaceDelayed grief occurs when you experience the death of a loved one but dont process your emotions until much later. This can cause confusion and distress for those affected by delayed grief. Fortunately, there are ways to address this type of grief, including through online grief counseling with Talkspace. Online therapy services offer support for any grief, including when its delayed. By connecting with experienced therapists at Talkspace, youll have access to helpful resources and personalized guidance that helps you cope in these trying times. Join Talkspace today to start healing from delayed grief with effective grief therapy techniques.Sources:Bonanno GA. Examining the Delayed Grief Hypothesis Across 5 Years of Bereavement. American Behavioral Scientist. 2001;44. doi:DOI:10.1177/00027640121956502. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0002764201044005007. Accessed December 21, 2022. Wilson DM, Underwood L, Errasti-Ibarrondo B. A scoping research literature review to map the evidence on grief triggers. Social Science & Medicine. 2021;282:114109. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114109. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027795362100441X?dgcid=author. Accessed December 21, 2022. Talkspace articles are written by experienced mental health-wellness contributors; they are grounded in scientific research and evidence-based practices. Articles are extensively reviewed by our team of clinical experts (therapists and psychiatrists of various specialties) to ensure content is accurate and on par with current industry standards.Our goal at Talkspace is to provide the most up-to-date, valuable, and objective information on mental health-related topics in order to help readers make informed decisions.Articles contain trusted third-party sources that are either directly linked to in the text or listed at the bottom to take readers directly to the source.

Grief is something everyone will experience at some point in life. Its a universal reaction to loss thats unavoidable. Yet, while its a journey everyone must eventually take, the path to healing from grief is unique. No two peoples experiences with grief are the same, which makes the grief journey even more lonely, painful, and difficult to navigate. The good thing is, grief counseling can help.Grief counseling is a specific type of therapy that helps you understand and process the emotions brought on by grieving. Its a place where you can build coping strategies and increase self-awareness as you learn to accept reality after loss.There are several benefits to grief support therapy. From providing an open, safe space where you can express yourself, to learning complicated grief coping tools that specifically work for your needs, to coming to a place of acceptance if youre wondering if grief counseling is worth it, the answer is yes.  Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of grief counseling that can help you cope with your loss.1. Help with Understanding GriefOne of the best benefits of grief counseling might be that it can help you understand what youre going through. Grief counselors act as a guide while you learn to process and understand the stages of grief. Developed by Elizabeth Kbler-Ross in her groundbreaking 1969 book, On Death and Dying, there are 5 stages of grief often referenced in counseling. Stages most people experience as they grieve include:DenialAngerBargainingDepressionAcceptanceIts important to note that the stages of grief are not linear or identical for everyone. How, when, and even if you experience each stage can differ from person to person. More recently, David Kressler added 2 more stages of grief that are commonly accepted. They are shock and testing.2. A Safe Space to Express EmotionsIts crucial to understand theres no timeline for the grief journey. Most people vastly underestimate how long the grieving process takes. Research shows on average, it can take up to 2 years to heal from significant loss. Due to the length of time the grieving process takes, you might find it difficult to express your emotions in a place where you feel safe. It might feel like the world has moved on, but youre stuck without a way to express yourself. Grief counseling can offer that haven, where no emotion is out of place. 3. Coping MechanismsCounseling will offer a tool kit filled with grief therapy techniques and coping tools. Coping mechanisms for grief are crucial in helping you process any complicated grief emotions while you heal. Common coping mechanisms used in grief therapy include:Journaling: Writing down your feelings and thoughts helps you process them more deeply. Research suggests that journaling can be an effective way to manage anxiety, stress, and depression, which are often related to loss.Deep breathing: The art of deep breathing is a way to calm the mind and regain control over your emotions. There are several breathing techniques you can learn in therapy that can help you when your grief is all-encompassing, and you cant see a way out. Mindfulness: Mindful meditation is an ancient practice of being still. It focuses on calming the mind and letting go of regrets from the past or worries about the future. Positive reframing: In therapy, you learn how to reframe your thoughts about grief. While at first this may seem impossible nothing good came from your loss the concept of reframing isnt just looking at the glass half full. Its more like consciously focusing on the good memories or putting effort into a tribute for the person you lost actions that can help relieve some of the pain youre experiencing. 4. Increased Self-AwarenessOne of the most incredible benefits of any type of therapy is how it helps boost self-awareness. In grief therapy, you gain a good grasp and understanding of the feelings and emotions you experience during the grieving process.  With self-awareness comes a rise in consciousness that helps you recognize unhealthy or unhelpful thought and behavior processes that might evoke psychological pain. Therapy can help you learn effective tools to manage these moments in constructive, positive ways.5. Help with Accepting RealityAcceptance can be one of the most complicated stages of grief to move through. Grief therapy allows you to come to terms with the harsh reality of your loss. Its important to note that acceptance doesnt mean forgetting about your loved one or feeling at peace with the loss. Instead, its knowing how to live with your new reality.6. Reduces IsolationGrief can be a very isolating and lonely experience. Though its a personal and solitary time in your life, it doesnt have to remain that way. A grief counseling session can be comforting, and your grief therapist can offer you validation when you feel alone or like nobody understands your pain. Understanding that your feelings arent wrong or abnormal is vital to healing.Its common to feel a disconnect when youre grieving. Therapy with a grief counselor can help you reconnect and explain where you are emotionally if others cant see what youre going through.7. Restored Sense of ControlWith grief often comes anxiety and stress, which can make you feel out of control. Therapy and grief counseling techniques can be a lifeline that guides you through these emotional storms so you can find calm. One of the most critical aspects of therapy is that it doesnt mask symptoms. Instead, your grief therapist gives you the tools for long-term resilience so you can handle whatever else life throws at you, even when youre in a fragile state that comes with grieving. Learning to master your emotions is crucial after a loss. Its always OK to be authentic and feel your feelings, but knowing you can control them is empowering. It will bring hope back into view, even though grief has changed everything you know about your world. Grief can change a persons entire perspective on life. There can be overall changes in sleep patterns, eating patterns, overall energy decreases theres forgetfulness and trouble concentrating. Mood changes like irritability and overall sadness. Talkspace therapist Reshawna Chapple, PhD, LCSW8. Help with Life TransitionsBy seeking therapy to manage your grief, youll learn how to move towards a new reality after loss with grief counseling techniques. Going to a grief counseling session can pave the way as you work toward acceptance and growth. Maybe this means adjusting to living alone or dealing with significant shifts professionally, but therapy can offer grief support as you learn to understand your new roles and territory. 9. Effective Communication SkillsLearning to communicate effectively is a life skill youll benefit from long after you go through the grieving process. The capacity to communicate clearly and in a thoughtful, expressive manner allows the people around you to understand what youre struggling with so they can surround you with a supportive and sympathetic circle as you heal. 10. Support in Rebuilding RelationshipsGrief can make sustaining relationships challenging. Its easy to pull away from others, and feeling misunderstood, even by those closest to you, is not uncommon. Therapy can help you strengthen bonds again so you can reshape damaged relationships. By coping with and expressing your emotions in healthy ways, you can reestablish deep connections with people you may have distanced yourself from. 11. Finding Meaning After LossIt feels impossible, but you can find meaning after loss. Even when it seems like youre drowning or that your grief is swallowing you up, grief counseling can show you how to take sometimes very small steps toward finding purpose. Loss can create a void so big that your entire worldview shifts. Therapy with a grief counselor helps you embrace the transformation loss causes, as post-traumatic growth focuses on slowly letting go of the pain youre in.Through the pain, sometimes grief can put things into perspective. The grieving process can slow an individual down so much that they start to see the world differently. Through the grieving process and with the help of a grief counselor, you can find ways to put the grief into perspective. Sometimes, grief can even redefine an individuals life purpose. Talkspace therapist Reshawna Chapple, PhD, LCSWIs Grief Counseling Worth It?Its completely normal to wonder if grief counseling is worth it. The short answer is: yes, it is. According to research, while most people will be able to cope with grief without intervention or professional help from a grief therapist, experiencing loss is linked to both mental and physical outcomes. Mental health impact: According to research, grief is linked to an increase in poor mental health, causing higher rates of mood disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety.   Physical impact: Some studies indicate that grief can affect physical health and even lead to an increased risk of mortality. Getting a hold on your grief by managing and working through it in therapy can help you ease the impact it has on your life.Begin Your Healing Journey with TalkspaceIf you need help dealing with grief, Talkspace is an online therapy platform that simplifies the therapeutic process. Online grief counseling is just as effective as in-person it offers you access to professional, experienced grief counselors so you can find the strength you need to navigate your grief and come out on the other side.Sources:Tyrrell P, Harberger S, Schoo C, Siddiqui W. Kubler-Ross stages of dying and subsequent models of grief. National Library of Medicine. Accessed December 12, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507885/.  Grief, bereavement, and coping with loss (PDQ). National Library of Medicine. October 18, 2022. Accessed December 12, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK66052/  Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN. Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary randomized controlled trial. JMIR Mental Health. 2018;5(4). doi:10.2196/11290. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6305886/. Accessed December 12, 2023. Newsom C, Schut H, Stroebe MS, et al. Effectiveness of bereavement counselling through a communitybased organization: A naturalistic, controlled trial. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy. 2017;24(6). doi:10.1002/cpp.2113. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5763344/. Accessed December 12, 2023Zisook S, Iglewicz A, Avanzino J, et al. Bereavement: Course, consequences, and care. Current Psychiatry Reports. 2014;16(10). doi:10.1007/s11920-014-0482-8. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11920-014-0482-8. Accessed December 12, 2023. Talkspace articles are written by experienced mental health-wellness contributors; they are grounded in scientific research and evidence-based practices. Articles are extensively reviewed by our team of clinical experts (therapists and psychiatrists of various specialties) to ensure content is accurate and on par with current industry standards.Our goal at Talkspace is to provide the most up-to-date, valuable, and objective information on mental health-related topics in order to help readers make informed decisions.Articles contain trusted third-party sources that are either directly linked to in the text or listed at the bottom to take readers directly to the source.