Many Students at Cal State La students go through difficult times dealing with grief. Many of who are not fully aware of the resources available and struggle with their academic journey. If you or anyone is going through the a difficult time coping with grief, feel free to use the following as a way to overcome your challenges.
The Five Stages And Where It Comes From
The 5 stages of grief was developed by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross as part of her work with terminally ill patients. She created this model to explain the emotional responses to death and loss. Over time, it has been widely used to understand how people cope with many types of loss and major life changes.
The Five Stages
- Denial: The stage in which a person has difficulty accepting the reality of the loss. They may avoid thinking or talking about it as a defense mechanism.
- Anger: It involves feelings of frustration or blame as the loss becomes more real. A person may direct these emotions towards others, themselves, or the situation.
- Bargaining: Includes thoughts about how things could have been different. A person may focus on the “what ifs” or “if only” scenarios in an attempt to regain control.
- Depression: Depression is marked by deep sadness and emotional withdrawal. A person may feel overwhelmed as they begin to fully process the loss.
- Acceptance: Involves coming to terms with the reality of the loss. A person begins to adjust and move forward while still acknowledging what has happened.
How to Deal with Grief
Dealing with Grief on Your Own
- Express whatever you are feeling at the moment to avoid keeping feelings bottled up.
- Participating in your favorite activities when you want a sense of comfort and to uplift your spirits.
- Taking the time to process your emotions.
- Creating a routine that you can follow that allows you to take care of yourself, to stay active, and focus on your health.
- Take time to journal your thoughts, create a memory book, or photo album for memories.
Dealing with Grief with a Support System
- Go at your own pace with socializing with others and don't force yourself to hang out with a group if you aren't ready
- Sharing and talking about your loss with someone that can listen to you without giving you advice and lets you vent.
- Group activities that are in a lower stress environment like going for a walk, painting, or going to the movies.
- Sharing memories you have that you would want to share with others.
Resources
Resources At Cal State LA
Counseling and Psychological Services
They offer same-day triage support and mental health services by providing counseling services which helps students express thoughts, feelings and improve coping skills.
Mental Health First Aid Training
They offer mental health first aid training for students at Calstate LA where they describe risk factors and warning signs of mental health challenges to spread awareness.
Student Health Center
Mental health services are given by licensed mental health professionals, therapists and even trainees.
Workshops
They provide students educational sessions and connect students with services to help them on their grief and coping journey.
Outside Resources
The LA county department of mental health
Provides mental health resources specifically for grief and a very helpful 24/7 support line.
Crisis Text Line
Provides a 24/7 support line through text to support students who want to vent about their situations by speaking with trained counselor volunteers.
Grief Angels
Provides students the path towards a more inclusive group experience where they can grief with other peers virtually.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Provides very thorough information on dealing with grief with additional resources such as helplines and in clinic facilities for supportive treatment.