While the stressors associated with COVID-19 may have decreased, the grief caused by change and loss endured by so many during the Pandemic persists. It can be not easy to deal with emotions that are not expected.

I am a certified therapist and a trauma-sensitive Yoga instructor. In the past 12 years, I have helped clients and their families deal with grief, anxiety, depression, and complex trauma. Many healthcare workers, first responders, and others have told me endless stories about how the Pandemic increased their burnout as well as affected their mental health.

Research shows that I created an online program that has improved the well-being of. I have seen first-hand how grief and sadness can increase during the holidays.

David Kessler, a grief expert, discusses five ways to cope with the holiday season.

Post-pandemic holidays, prolonged grief, and post-pandemic holidays

During the Pandemic, family dynamics, relationships, and connections with others were affected, mental problems increased or worsened, and many people’s holiday routines and traditions were disrupted.

Some people who have lost loved ones during the Pandemic might not have been in a position to hold rituals like memorial services, which could further delay the grieving process. Some may find that holiday traditions are more painful. The time off from work or school can trigger feelings of intense grief and lead to feelings of isolation or depression.

Some feelings of grief can be so severe and persistent that they affect daily life. Researchers and clinicians have struggled for decades to find a way to identify and treat complex grief clearly.

A new entry for complicated grief has been added to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in March 2022. The DSM classifies a range of mental disorders and problems, allowing clinicians to understand the symptoms and experiences of patients better.

This condition has been renamed extended grief disorder. Around 10% of bereaved adults are at risk, and these rates seem to have increased after the Pandemic.

People with prolonged grieving disorder may experience intense emotions such as longing for their deceased loved one or a preoccupation with the memories of that person. Others may also have difficulty re-engaging socially and feel emotionally numb. Many people avoid any reminders of the person they lost and can feel like their identity has been stolen. The symptoms are present almost every day for a minimum of a month. A prolonged grief disorder can be detected after at least a year for adults and six months for children.

This upended my sense of predictability and control in my life, leaving me to untangle the that surviving suicide loss survivors often face. It threw my life into chaos, and I had to untangle the existential themes that survivors of suicide loss face.

How grief alters brain chemistry

Researchers have found that grief can negatively impact not only a person’s health but also brain chemistry.

The intense feelings of grief can disrupt the reward systems in the human brain. Bereaved people crave the reward that they experienced before they lost their loved ones when they were connected to them. These behaviors are similar to those of substance abuse and can be the reason some people become stuck in their grief.

Podcast on Understanding Grief and Loss

A study found that adults dealing with complex grief were more likely to have their amygdala activated when shown images of death. This was compared to those who weren’t grieving. It is associated with managing the distress of being separated from loved ones. These brain changes may explain the impact that prolonged grief can have on a person’s ability to function and life.

Recognizing prolonged grief disorder

Experts have created scales that can be used to measure the symptoms of prolonged grieving disorder. You may want to seek help from a mental health professional if you have been experiencing these symptoms for more than a year.

Grief does not follow a linear timeline. Grief is an evolving, dynamic process that’s different for each person. Be compassionate with yourself, and do not judge what you should be doing.

It is important to address any preexisting or co-occurring mental health concerns, such as anxiety, depression, or a. You must address any mental health issues that are preexisting or that co-occur, such as depression, anxiety, or Post-traumatic Stress.

There are important differences between grief and depression.