Understanding Others: Experiencing a Loss and Cultural Considerations of Loss

Understanding Others
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Understanding Others
Option 1: Experiencing a Loss
Experiencing the loss of a loved one can be a devastating experience. In this interview involving a wife who lost her husband six months ago in my neighborhood, it became evident that people deal with grief differently. After interacting with the interviewee, she indicated that she lost her husband of 56 years to a tragic road accident that also left her nursing serious injuries on her left leg and hip. Although she has been managing and improving over time, she remembers that it was initially difficult for her to deal with the absence of her life partner in such a gruesome manner. As a result, she indulged in alcohol intake for almost a month while recuperating at home, an aspect that also threatened her life. She also highlighted that it remains traumatizing whenever she recalls the events leading to the loss of her husband. Her concerns are consistent with Murray’s (2016) observation that the primary loss involves the physical absence of the husband while the secondary one comprises dealing with accident-related trauma.
Interaction with her close relative was one of the supports that helped her to overcome her loss. She indicated that her children and relatives frequently visited her to comfort her for over three months. Their presence was a significant pillar in assisting her in coping with the emotional impacts of the loss. Her responses also indicate that she received outstanding support from a faith-based group that extends their services to widows and widowers to assist them in stabilizing after the sudden loss of their loved ones. This aspect reflects Murray’s (2016) observation of the role of spirituality in overcoming grief. It was encouraging to learn that this group has interacting meetings and activities that bring together individuals with common losses to share their strengths and support each other in the process. Her participation in these events was transformative because they shifted her attention from using alcohol as a form of dealing with grief to embracing more constructive approaches to addressing the same problem. The outcome of this change was that she improved significantly, although she still feels traumatized about the accident, representing a secondary loss.
The interviewee revealed that she was concerned about the constant flashbacks of the accident. This aspect pushed her to initially rely on alcohol as her form of combating the traumatic event. According to Murray (2016), such occurrences are commonplace among individuals experiencing loss. The author indicates that these events can prolong the grieving period. She narrated experiencing a sense of helplessness and fear that made her blame her husband for leaving her vulnerable in life. However, she was surprised at how fast she transitioned from this susceptible state to accept the loss and understanding that such events represent nature designs when interacting with her support group. Murray (2016) refers to this progress as integration. It marks the recovery from a traumatic experience.
The respondent’s journey after her loss...