“Sometimes I feel like I’m on an emotional roller coaster. There are times when I’m feeling better and seem to be doing OK. Then it seems like out of nowhere, I’m down and feeling overwhelmed. Is this normal?”

The emotional roller coaster is one of the most common ways people describe their experience when grieving. The demands of daily life may distract us from our grief for a time, only to throw us back into it with reminders of who and what we have lost.

Early on, the ups and downs are likely to feel exhausting and discouraging. Over time, the ups and downs become more manageable. We start to recognize the occasional grief wave as a normal part of the process of adjusting and adapting to life after loss.

For more information about dealing with grief, contact Pathways of Hope at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton at 937.258.4991.