Denial

Center for Growth / Grief Therapy in Philadelphia – Denial: the stage of denial, like all other stages of grieving, effects different people in different ways. Some people experience almost no period of denial or just a short period of shock, while others may stay in this stage for weeks and even months.

In the case of a sudden or traumatic death, the reality may seem even more difficult to grasp. Or when you have stood by another person’s long, chronic illness, you may feel numb or even lost.

In either case, you may find yourself moving about mechanically, planning or attending memorials, funerals, or other ceremonies. You may feel a quiet sense of aloneness or a panicky elusive confusion. You may shake your head often in disbelief and dismay, thinking, “Surely, this could not be happening, not to me, not now.”

* But the stage of denial, like the stage of Anger and Bargaining, serve as the mind’s defense mechanism, and permit the reality to slowly permeate our being. During this daunting time, you may find the following tips quite useful:
* Stay close to trusted family and friends during this time. A clergy member or therapist can also be informed and asked to be on call for support. Do not feel pressured to communicate outside those circles, other than informing your place of work.
* Remember that other family and friends will experience the loss differently from you. Accept that fact without judgment of them or yourself. One person may display intense anger, while another just cries for hours. There is no “correct” or advanced way of grieving. The process is as unique as the person experiencing it.
* Don’t pressure your self or be pressured to display something other than what you are currently feeling right now. You may feel a real sense of numbness. Many grieving people say, “Why can’t I cry?” “Why don’t I feel anything?” Just accept your current state. There are no should haves. Don’t worry what other people may think or feel.
* Don’t push yourself. Give your mind and body time to adjust. Do not attempt to accomplish everything you normally do. You may want to take time off from work, or work may be a comfort to you—however, go at an easy pace. For example, you may be used to strenuous daily workouts; these can be downgraded to 20-minute walks. The important thing is not what you are doing but at what pace you are moving. Take it easy.
* Your first reaction may be to run away from the situation through drugs or alcohol. These substances will not remove the pain. In fact, they may skew the grieving process and exacerbate the situation tremendously. Alcohol is a depressant. Stay away from mind-altering substances, and avoid too much caffeine and sugar.
* Overall, the most important element to the entire grieving process is you. Supporting others may make you feel better, but only after you focus on your own self-care. Try to eat five small balanced meals a day. Graze on healthy snacks. Get fresh air, and stick to a bedtime routine. Make sure that you continue any prescribed medications, and take a vitamin supplement daily.

You can self schedule an in-person or virtual therapy session at the Center for Growth by calling (215) 922- LOVE (5683) x 100.

Our Guarantee: If after your first session you are not sold that you are working with the right therapist, do not hesitate to call our intake line at 215 922 5683 x 100 or Alex at (267) 324-9564 and ask to be rescheduled with another therapist. The choice of how you want to proceed is yours. Our only goal is to support you in becoming the best you possible.

For your convenience, we have brick and mortar offices and work with clients virtually in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Physical Therapy Office Locations:

Ocean City Therapy Office 360 West Ave, Floor 1, Ocean City, NJ 08226
Mechanicsville Therapy Office 9044 Mann Drive, Mechanicsville Virginia, 23116
Society Hill Therapy Office 233 S. 6th Street, C-33, Philadelphia PA 19106
Art Museum / Fairmount Therapy Office 2401 Pennsylvania Ave, Suite 1a2, Philadelphia PA 19130
Providence Therapy Office 173 Waterman St. Providence, RI 02906
Fayetteville Therapy Office 101 Devant Street #606, Fayetteville GA 30214
Santa Fe Therapy Office, 2204 B Brothers Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87505
Telemedicine Therapy Locations: We have therapists who are licensed to work in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Virginia and Pennsylvania

Therapy Services Offered in Fayetteville, Ocean City, Mechanicsville, Philadelphia, Providence, Santa Fe:

Individual Counseling and therapy
Couples Counseling and marriage counseling
Teen Therapy and Adolescent Therapy and tweens and child counseling
Family Therapy and multi-generational counseling
Art Therapy and Counseling no art skills needed
ADHD Therapy and ADD, Dyslexia, Autism, Tourettes counseling
Anxiety, Panic, OCD Therapy and worry and fear support
Breaking the cycle of Codependency and being your own person
Overcoming Chronic Illness and Chronic Pain .
Depression Therapy and sadness, gloom, and upset support
Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) Therapy is a particular style of therapy designed for people with problems affecting their nervous system, how the brain and body send and receive signals.
Grief Therapy and loss, End of A Relationship, rejections, pregnancy and loss and therapy
Mindfulness Based Therapy and spirituality based therapy
Narcissistic Abuse Recovery child of, parent of, spouse of, sibling of a narcissist.
Sex Therapy and sexual function & dysfunction, sex addiction, sexual orientation and gender identity support
Shame and Blame
Trauma Therapy both emotional and sexual abuse, complex trauma, PTSD counseling
Divorce support
Affairs, Infidelity, Unfaithful, Cheating counseling
Parenting therapy
Personality disorder treatments Narcissist, Borderline, Histrionic
Anger Management Therapy
Setting Boundaries and identifying ones own Core Beliefs

Just name some of the Mental Health issues that we work with. Our goal is to help you Change and Achieve Your Dreams

Posts by Alex Caroline Robboy

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