How to Survive the Loss of a Love

Not all loss is obvious or immediate and can include many things, not just the loss of a relationship. Losses can include the loss of a job, one's health, a teacher, a school, a pet, an ideal or goal and anything that causes emotional injury. Here is how to survive the loss of anything you love or have loved.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Allow emotional loss to hurt and to heal just like a physical injury, but allow for a longer healing process.

2. Trust that time really does heal all wounds, even emotional ones. Everyone has different timing for the healing process to be complete and to survive the loss of a love, so be patient and understand that things will get easier in time.

3. Acknowledge that there are three stages of emotional recovery. These phases need to be recognized as necessary and natural and everyone must go through the stages of recovery to finally come to a point of understanding and acceptance.

4. Recognize the three phases of recovery. Understand them as you go through each one and that you are on the road to recovery. The three recognizable stages of recovery are shock and denial; anger and depression; understanding and acceptance.

5. Realize that a major loss, such as the loss of a spouse, may take several years to heal. The body may be in shock and numbed over the loss for as long as 6 months before being capable of moving on to the next phase.

6. Survive the loss of love. After experiencing the three stages of recovery, the body has been healed and is ready to continue on with life.