A professional therapist, Randi Rotwein-Pivnick offers valuable advice to clients dealing with a wide range of issues. Good suggestions for anyone experiencing family issues, she offers the following guidance to Grieving Grace:
Dear Randi,
My mother passed away four months ago. We were very close, and I miss her terribly. Since she died, I feel like I am on an emotional rollercoaster. One minute I am doing fine, and the next I am crying or angry. My sister seems to be doing just fine, and my husband tells me four months is long enough to be sad, and it’s time to move on. Is there something wrong with me?
Signed,
Grieving Grace
Randi Rotwein-Pivnick
Dear Grace,
Clearly, you are grieving the loss of your mother. The grief process is different for everyone, and you need to go at your own pace. Some people experience all the stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance), and some people don’t. Oftentimes, you jump from one stage to another and back again. It all depends on the person, which is why you are having a different experience than your sister.
The best thing for you to do is to allow yourself to feel what you are feeling and to grieve at your own pace. Don’t let anyone else determine that but you. Surround yourself with supportive, empathetic people, get some guidance from a therapist specializing in bereavement, and/or join a grief support group. Little by little, with time, you should begin to feel more like yourself.
To contact Randi Rotwein-Pivnick, please email her at Emotion4You@aol.com, or call her at (480) 707-8291.