One of the most painful losses that we can experience is the slipping away of a loved one to a disease like Dementia. Our grief compounds as the condition worsens and we are left holding onto who the person was before the onset of the disease. Every hope, dream, and expectation we carry in our heart’s for our relationship slowly slip away.
Many people experience a slow deterioration of their loved one’s health and others experience a more rapid decline. Every loss is unique, therefore every grieving person is unique. Regardless of your circumstances, your emotional responses are completely normal and natural.
Sadly, we haven’t been taught the information on how to navigate our grief in a healthy and meaningful way. Many of the intellectual messages we hear like “keep busy” and “be strong” are well-meaning, but they are not emotionally helpful and often further isolate us in our pain.
The wonderful news is, grief does not have to be a life sentence of suffering. There are actionable tools that can help us to move beyond the pain, isolation, and loneliness caused by loss, including Dementia.
