Tips On Dealing With Anger While Experiencing Grief
While a lot of people feel sad when they're experiencing grief, others have more of a sense of anger. Often, anger can be one of the phases of grief. You may go through a period of anger that eventually turns into sadness or vice versa. Anger can occur during all sorts of difficult scenarios, including after the death of a loved one. This feeling may feel new to you, so it's important to know how to navigate it successfully. Here are some tips that you should keep in mind when periods of anger emerge.
Beware Of Lashing Out
When you're angry, you want to be careful to avoid lashing out at those around you. Doing so can seem easy during a period of anger, but this behavior can cause harm to your various relationships. For example, if a loved one has passed away, you might be so angry about the death that you blame someone else — even if doing so isn't necessarily logical. For example, you might blame a family member for not being home when the person passed away and angrily accuse them of being responsible for the death. Family members should support one another during times of grief, and lashing out will only create rifts. Do your best to avoid directing your anger onto anyone else.
Don't Be Self-Destructive
Some people have a tendency to start acting in a self-destructive manner when they're angry. This can especially be possible when you're distraught from grief. There are all sorts of self-destructive behaviors that can occur. For example, you might start drinking heavily with the intention of using alcohol to cope with your anger. Unfortunately, this behavior will likely make you feel worse — and you'll also be harming your body in the process. If you start to think about engaging in any self-destructive behavior, try to remember that it won't help your situation.
Seek Help
It's difficult to navigate grief on your own, and this can especially be true if you're struggling to keep volatile feelings of anger at bay. It's important for you to realize that you don't need to conquer your grief by yourself. This is a good time to turn to an experienced grief counselor. While family members with whom you converse might feel uneasy about your anger, grief counselors understand that anger can be a part of the grieving process. They'll listen to your sentiments and provide gentle guidance that can help you to move through your grief.
Contact a counselor if you need grief support.