Having to be strong for others can often delay your own resolution of grief. Grief counseling facilitates the whole range of emotion and thoughts about the loss which includes sadness, anger, anxiety, feelings of helplessness , loneliness, relief, and numbness. Psychotherapy may be needed if the reactions to the loss are extreme or prolonged and can also be helpful for anxiety reactions due to anticipating a loss.
Going through a major loss can change your life forever. As the heart is broken, it is also an opportunity for a kind of openness and vulnerability that can lead to new feelings of meaning, connection and purpose in life. The sadness eventually ceases to overwhelm you and is integrated into your life so you can slowly begin to experience the joy of living once again.