Caregiver Grief

Some reactions to grief happen in your body. You may feel more or less active than usual, have problems sleeping, and/or feel restless or tired. You may have pain or other physical problems, like headaches, stomach pain, nausea or chest pain. You may notice changes in your appetite. You may notice yourself crying, sighing, or having shortness of breath or tightness in your throat.

Other reactions have more to do with your feelings. It is common to feel sad, angry, guilty, overwhelmed or afraid. You may feel numb or lonely. You may feel empty and disconnected to the present moment. One day you may feel more in control, and another day guilty or anxious. It is easy to become upset or frustrated. You may have worries about your child with hearing loss such as how your child will communicate, what the future will look like and how your family will navigate this unexpected journey of having a child with hearing loss.

It can be hard to connect with other people when you are grieving. You might not feel interested in seeing people at all and want to avoid people. You might not want to call people on the phone to talk. You might feel like you are keeping to yourself too much. Or, you might feel like you are relying too much on people, or that you feel more sensitive than usual. Be patient and remember that this will change over time.

Grief can cause you to act in ways that you would not usually act. You may find that you are forgetful or that you think more slowly than usual. You may feel more tearful than normal and have strong reactions to small things that normally would not bother you.

If you are worried about any of the feelings or reactions you are having, talk to a person who is close to you or to a psychologist who specializes in hearing loss. You may also talk to your child’s audiologist. It may help to connect with parents of older children with hearing loss. The most important thing to remember is that grief is a natural response to a new diagnosis, and you need time to adapt to the grief process.