Understanding Grief Bereaved people may experience a number of responses. Here is a list of some of these: Physical Responses Shock/numbnessTightness in the chest/throat.A dry throat.Hollowness in the stomach.Over sensitive to noiseBreathlessnessSleeplessnessTiredness/loss of energy.Poor appetite/over eating.A sense of disconnectedness Emotional Responses Searching – visiting places that remind one of the deceased person.Avoidance – not wanting to be reminded of the dead person.Restlessness – becoming overactive. Trying to keep busy.Relief – That suffering is ended. Feelings of Grief Sadness – Feeling down, depressed. Feeling helpless.Anger – at a range of people, e.g., the medical people, family, God, the deceased.Guilt – All the “if onlys”.Anxiety – about the future, about one’s health. Other Responses Disbelief – a refusal to believe what one has been told or seen.Confusion – difficulties in remembering things, poor concentration, feeling disorganised.Preoccupation – going over and over the story of the death.Bargaining – thinking of ways of getting the dead person back. Grief and Death Understanding Grief Children’s Grief Grieving the Death of a Spouse Grieving the Death Of a Child Talking with Children about Death Suicide and Self-Harm Concerned About Suicide Deliberate Self Harm Information for Young People Self Harm Information for Parents, Guardians and Teachers