Grief During the Pandemic: How Remote Counselling Can Help

Dealing with grief is, and always will be, among the most difficult experiences that people can go through.

Even the most resilient individuals and the strongest minds can become crippled by grief.

If left unchecked, the feelings of loss, regret, hopelessness, and longing can become too overwhelming. It can lead to a whole host of severe problems that can make everyday life difficult.

Not addressing grieving and mourning could risk all aspects of life being negatively affected, from professional life to personal life, to relationships.

With these in mind, dealing with grief the proper way is an absolute must. Several things can help. And these days, with the pandemic, possibly the most notable is through remote counselling.

Remote counselling holds the benefits of traditional counselling while you stay in the comfort of your own home.

Grieving Has Become More Difficult Than Ever

Losing someone close to you has never been easy.

Because of the pandemic, people have lost their methods of dealing with grief.

For example, seeing your friends as a way of coping is now much more difficult. Memorial services are also much more difficult to organize because of the pandemic. Even going to a therapist’s office for counselling carries with it some risks because of the virus.

These difficulties, coupled with the fact that a lot more people are dying, make the situation much worse.

Millions of people in Canada and worldwide have lost friends and loved ones because of the pandemic.

While the staggering numbers make loss seem normal these days, it doesn’t make grieving any easier. However, this may mean that more people need professional help — one reason why you should consider remote counselling.

• Depression, excessive sadness, hopelessness, or lack of drive
• Significant changes in appetite, which can either be overeating or lack of appetite
• Significant changes in sleeping patterns that can either be lack of sleep or sleeping excessively
• Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
• Extreme despair and overwhelming negative emotions

 

If you exhibit any of the above signs, you may especially want to consider seeing a counsellor remotely.

How Unaddressed Grief Can Impact You

Grief is something that you need to process properly regardless of the circumstances.

Many problems stemming from grief can creep up on you if you don’t address your thoughts and emotions appropriately. Some of these include the following:

• Impact on professional life: One of the most common aspects of life that unaddressed grief can impact is on a person’s professional life. Excessive grief can render you incapable of working as normal. While some employers are much more lenient in this regard, this leniency won’t go on indefinitely.
• Effects on relationships: Grief also dramatically affects one’s personal life. Mood and behavioural changes of the bereaved can negatively impact everyone around them. It can lead to problems with one’s close personal relationships.
• Compromised physical health: As was mentioned earlier, grief can lead to things like changes in appetite or sleeping patterns. These are just some of the physical effects of grief. More troublesome is the amount of stress that it brings. Excessive physical stress is never good —heart problems, blood pressure changes, and other diseases become much more likely. These become worse as time goes on.
• Mental health issues: Grief affects all aspects of health, especially mental and emotional health. Cases of extreme grief and unaddressed grief can lead to the development of mental health issues. These includedepression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety disorder.

 

Grief can sometimes be unbearable. If this is what you experience, then you may want to find a counsellor. With the pandemic in mind, find a remote counsellor, so you’re safe while you get help.

The Benefits of Remote Counselling

Remote counselling has become more popular because of the pandemic and with good reason. Here are some good ways why you should consider remote counselling:

1.      You stay away from exposure to the virus while getting help

The most crucial draw of remote counselling these days is that it allows you to stay home while getting help. That means that you’re away from the pandemic while still enjoying the benefits of seeing a professional counsellor. You don’t just keep yourself safe — the rest of your household stays safe as well.

2.      It’s convenient

The process of scheduling and attending remote counselling sessions is much easier compared to face-to-face ones. Just call your counsellor and work out a schedule that works for you both, and you’re set. That means no more traveling or waiting in line when you get professional help. It’s that convenient.

3.      It’s completely confidential

Even though there’s no shame in getting help, some people would still rather keep counselling sessions discreet. Regardless of the reasons, remote counselling is ideal for confidentiality. Not being in the therapist’s clinic physically means smaller chances of being seen. All platforms used for remote counselling sessions are also very secure.

4.      It provides a safe space to process deep thoughts and emotions

Grief counsellors are highly trained to help you process your emotions. It means that any counselling sessions, whether they are face-to-face or remote, are safe spaces. This is vital since thoughts and feelings are better shared and aired this way.

5.      You develop ways of coping

Counselling is by no means the only way of coping with grief. A trained counsellor will know all about these, so seeing one can give you many takeaways.

Your counsellor can help guide you through the stages of grief while recommending ways to help you cope. Most importantly, these coping mechanisms are healthy ones that will impact you positively in the long run.

Find a Professional for Remote Counselling That Can Help

It helps to reach out to family and friends, even just remotely, during times of grief. However, a trained professional can teach you to cope in other ways that your loved ones cannot.

If you believe that you need to see a counsellor for help, be sure to find an experienced one.

Choose “Counsellors By Expertise” in the top menu and find a grief counsellor that best suits your needs.