Loss or Grief

George Michael Cuesta, PhD is a Board Certified Clinical Psychologist / Neuropsychologist practicing at the Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains, New York.

A life change that involves significant loss--the death of a loved one, a divorce, a career crisis, a decline in health, or any other irreversible and unwanted situation--induces a natural emotional and behavioral response called grief. Normal grief requires no treatment. Untreated complicated grief may lay the groundwork for lifelong depression.
 
When a death takes place, you may experience a wide range of emotions, even when the death is expected. Many people report feeling an initial stage of numbness after first learning of a death, but there is no real order to the grieving process.

Some "normal" emotions you may experience after a loss include:

Anger
Confusion
Denial
Disbelief
Despair
Guilt
Humiliation
Sadness
Shock
Yearning

Recovering from a loss is a process that does not occur over night, it may take weeks, months, years, or even a life time-- depending on the person and the type of loss. One doesn't just "get over" loss. There is no "perfect" or "right" or "correct" way to process a loss nor "treat" a loss. Each person's experience with grief is unique. If you are in need of resources and support to help you after a loss please contact Dr. Cuesta at his White Plains, New York office.

Some helpful resources can be found here:

Grieving and Loss Support
www.helpguide.org/mental/grief_loss.htm 

National Mental Health Association
www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/42.cfm 

Association for Death Education and Counseling
http://www.adec.org/  

Please contact George Michael Cuesta, PhD  at the Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains, New York to schedule an appointment to discuss treatments to help you cope and recover from your loss and from grieving.