Reflective Essay: How Grief Has Changed My Life

Grief has caused me to behave in different ways, depending on; my age, what I lost, or the difficulties that I have gone through. When I was younger, I reacted to grief through; ignoring my problems, getting angry, or by becoming depressed. Now I have I learned that grief is part of life, and although I still feel anger and depression as a reaction to some situations, this realization has helped me find a way to deal with my grief in a calmer way that doesn’t worsen a bad situation. I have discovered a unique way of dealing with life’s problems through my; self-awareness of dealing with grief, my unfinished businesses, and my interactions with others dealing with grief.
My self-awareness or personality when dealing with grief is usually to

My father left for the first time in 1998, which wasn’t that emotional for me, because I was only about five years old, but in 2000 he came back to live with my mother, brother, and I and left again in 2003, which made me sad and confused because I was older. My father’s absence caused a lot of stress and depression for my mother and I was responsible for taking care of my brother and sister. During stressful situations, my family depends on me to stay calm and make rational decisions. Although, this does not mean that I never need help to get me through some of the most difficult situations in my life. For instance, in 2014 I was diagnosed with diabetes, which was very difficult for me because my health was declining and I had to change my daily routines. At first, I was disappointed and a little depressed, but when my friends found out about my problem, they told me about other people they’d heard successfully deal with diabetes and this made me feel less helpless about my own situation. Another thing that helps me with grief is my belief in Christianity. Because of my religious beliefs, I’m not afraid of my afterlife, but I would be ashamed if I were to get sick