When you’re grieving, doing anything to care for yourself can seem an effort, and even cause you more stress. I’ve shared five ways I found to look after myself in the early years of grief.
Tag Archives: anxiety
Sick with grief
No one ever told me that my grief would make me feel so ill. As they broke the news to us that Abi was going to die, I thought of only her, then our family… and everything about how we’d live without her. I was prepared – and expected – to feel depressed, but the physicalContinueContinue reading “Sick with grief”
You don’t have to ‘get over’ your grief just because it’s Christmas
It’s no surprise that Christmas is a difficult time for the grieving. For us, the period begins with Abi’s birthday at the end of November, we then have the four weeks until Christmas and then New Year, followed not long afterwards by the anniversary of the time we lost her. Next February will be fourContinueContinue reading “You don’t have to ‘get over’ your grief just because it’s Christmas”
The hypervigilant mumma – will I ever switch off?
So we’ve been a bit ill again. Jake’s been the worst hit this autumn. Normally a very healthy child, he’s had a chest infection, sickness and now another cold virus that has brought him out in itchy hives. On Saturday, I was home alone with Jake and Naomi. Daddy and Joe were at the football,ContinueContinue reading “The hypervigilant mumma – will I ever switch off?”
Fight or flight – coping with illness as a bereaved family
My personal anxiety is much better these days although I’m still on a minute dose of anti-anxiety drugs just to help me through the first months of having a newborn should it suddenly increase with my hormone surges. It seemed sensible to do this, keeping any risks to baby to a minimum but allowing me theContinueContinue reading “Fight or flight – coping with illness as a bereaved family”
A picture of health
This is a picture of Abi and me on holiday in about 2011. I love the health and happiness radiating from BOTH of us in this picture. Of course, there was never any sign that Abi would have a brain haemorrhage two years later but what struck me when I saw this was not Abi particularly,ContinueContinue reading “A picture of health”
Dealing with my son’s sudden illness while grieving my daughter’s sudden death
Experiencing one of my children falling suddenly ill has revealed much about how grief has impacted me, as a mother who is grieving the sudden death of another of my children. Last weekend, my son scared us. The anxiety and fear flooded back in and we fought with everything we had to hold it together. Losing Abi was the worst thing imaginableContinueContinue reading “Dealing with my son’s sudden illness while grieving my daughter’s sudden death”
The physical pains of grief
It’s been a while since I posted about my reluctant but important decision to take antidepressant (or rather anti-anxiety) medication. I have taken a break from writing for a while, to let life settle and see what comes of this new course of treatment. While at first the medicine seemed to exacerbate my symptoms, theyContinueContinue reading “The physical pains of grief”
The dark side of grief – craving escape from the mental and physical pain of loss
I recently went for my first month check-up at the doctors, to see how I’ve settled taking the antidepressants. For anyone who has not taken antidepressants before, or who hasn’t experienced anxiety – and especially for those grieving mummas out there who are finding that anxiety and depression are adding to their grief, I wantedContinueContinue reading “The dark side of grief – craving escape from the mental and physical pain of loss”
My failures as a grieving mum
I’ve failed. Life seems fractured. Daily events feel insurmountable. Relationships are strained and unstable. Work is challenging. Motivation to care, about much, is gone. I’m sharing this deeply personal post because I know for sure that I’m not alone. That out there are other mothers, in mourning, trying to hold it all together, being strongContinueContinue reading “My failures as a grieving mum”
Chasing Dragonflies 