This article is part of Scroll’s Second Chances series. Second Chances highlights the unique experiences and potential of individuals who have overcome addiction, substance abuse and/or incarceration, as well as the programs and people that supported their journey.

When dealing with a loss, it is not uncommon for an individual to experience grief.

According to the CDC website, “grief is a response to loss, which can be caused by many things, such as the death of a loved one, losing a job, getting divorced or going through other major life changes.”

Grief can be felt for a variety of reasons when individuals are encountering a personal loss.

“Many of us are struggling without realizing it,” said Andra Hansen, a volunteer at the Center for HOPE and a communication professor at BYU-Idaho. “Everyone has experienced losses and so forth. Various types and grief (are) real.”

Individuals may act differently when suffering from grief.

According to the CDC, “people who are grieving may experience complex emotions like feelings of helplessness or hopelessness, anger or sadness, numbness, or confusion. You may notice changes in your appetite, mood, energy level, or sleep patterns.”

When suffering from grief, it is important to recognize their emotions and receive proper treatment, preventing it from creating a lasting negative impact on their life. Thankfully, the CDC offers four recommended actions for people who are grieving.

The CDC’s first recommendation is to get comfort and lean on others.

“Talk with friends, family or people you trust. Seek out online grief counseling groups. Seek support from a grief counselor or your faith community,” according to the CDC website.

Eastern Idaho has grief support opportunities available for those who are struggling. The Center for HOPE in Idaho Falls offers a weekly grief support group where individuals can healthily express their emotions and receive help.

The Dougy Center in Oregon explains what defines a grief support group.

According to their website, “peer grief support groups are a safe space. Members choose to participate. Groups for children and teens involve discussion, play and activities for expressing grief in a supportive environment. Adult groups offer facilitated conversations about life after a death and supporting others who are grieving.”

Grieving individuals can also benefit from establishing a routine.

According to the CDC website, “maintain a sense of order and purpose to help you focus on things you can control. Eat healthy and keep a regular sleep schedule.”

Individuals who are struggling with grief after the death of a loved one may benefit from honoring their loved one.

The CDC website recommends that individuals, “take small steps to remember and celebrate their life, keeping with your faith or cultural traditions.”

To do this, individuals may consider participating in a celebration of life ceremony and create a memory book or tribute page for the individual.

Someone who is struggling with grief may also benefit from seeking help from a professional counselor. The BYU-Idaho Counseling Center is available to help students who are struggling with a variety of mental health illnesses, including grief.

Seeking professional help and counseling can play a vital role in mending the emotional scars that can be left by a loss.

“We have no problem going into a doctor for any kind of physical ailment,” Hansen said. “It is like, we do not have a problem going in for a checkup or a wellness visit. Why then, do we assume that the mind and the heart do not need the same kind of care?”

Family, friends and other influential people have a large role in helping individuals who are grieving.

Hansen shared an example from her time as a professor at BYU-I when she was teaching a “high-performing” student who was suffering from grief after one of her close friends took her own life.

“This person that was always outgoing and high-performing started coming in late for class,” Hansen said. “It would be very easy for me to interpret that as disrespectful… Like ‘how irresponsible,‘ she handed in work that was poor quality, that was often late. She disengaged from her team conversations.”

In this situation, it would have been easy for Hansen to misconceive the actions of her student and punish her for being a poor student. The student was in her last semester before graduation.

“It would have been a really easy thing to give her a bad grade and just look at the policies,” Hansen said.

Hansen relied upon her grief training, allowing her to see the student’s actions through a different lens.

“Through the lens of grief, it was like, ‘okay, here is a person that feels like they can not get out of bed in the morning,’” Hansen said. “But she has decided ‘I am going to hand every single thing in, even if I am not proud of it. I am going to get it in, and I am going to show up even if I am not at my best.’”

Rather than seeing a disrespectful student, Hansen saw a courageous and committed individual.

For people who are grieving, patience from those around them is often required.

“On any given day, when I am interacting with someone in a state of grief, I can make things feel more possible or less possible,” Hansen said. “Why wouldn’t I want to make things feel more possible and that they are more valued… They are not doing anything wrong, and there is nothing wrong with them. This is just how we deal with stuff that is hard.”