Anticipatory Grief
Some grief is easy for other people to recognise. Other grief can be much harder to explain. This gentle Space to Breathe Support Hub resource has been created to help you understand anticipatory grief without telling you how you should feel or how quickly you should recover.
Inside the guide, I explore what this kind of grief can look and feel like, why emotions can change from one day to the next, and some of the less obvious losses that can sit underneath the grief. I have also included practical ideas for getting through the more difficult days and a reflection you can return to when you need it.
I have included therapy recommendations too, because sometimes having a safe, confidential place to talk can make an enormous difference. Depending on your circumstances, this may include person-centred counselling, specialist grief or bereavement support, family or couples work, peer support, or trauma-informed therapy where the loss has involved frightening or traumatic experiences. Therapy is not about making you forget or forcing you to 'move on'. It can simply give you somewhere to put down what you have been carrying.
You will also find book recommendations chosen to complement this particular guide, including The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller, Grief Works by Julia Samuel, With the End in Mind by Kathryn Mannix. You do not need to read everything. Sometimes one chapter, one sentence or simply recognising your own experience in somebody else's words can be enough.
Please use this resource in whatever way feels helpful. Read it all at once, come back to it slowly, or save it for a day when you have more emotional space. There is no right way to grieve.
With warmth,
Maggie
Space to Breathe Therapy
Support note: If grief is making everyday life persistently unmanageable, or you are worried about your safety, please seek professional support. In the UK, your GP, NHS services and Cruse Bereavement Support can help you explore appropriate support.
