Do You Recognize the Anticipatory Grief in Your Life?

Yesterday I spoke to a Kiwanis club about anticipatory grief. Some people at my table had experienced post-death grief, but they had never heard of anticipatory grief. To give club members something to refer to later, I gave them handouts with anticipatory grief question and answers. Anticipatory grief is a feeling of loss before a death or dreaded event happens. If your child was born with a heart defect, you probably experienced anticipatory grief. If your spouse was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s you have experienced anticipatory grief. If the rumor mill at work says people are going to be “downsized” you experienced anticipatory grief. How can you help yourself? You may learn more about this type of grief,  journal regularly (this helps more than I can say!) and take care of your health. Adding quiet time to each day is also helpful. Everyone goes through anticipatory grief and one of the best things you can do for yourself is to be aware of it.