REACH OUT - Reach out to
people; they do care. Call home or
friends from the past.
CARING - Try to reduce or find
help for stresses in your life. Allow
yourself to be close to those you
trust. Getting back into or creating a
routine helps. You may need to allow
yourself to do things at your own
pace. Try to allow yourself to accept
the expressions of caring from others
even though they may be uneasy and
awkward. Helping a friend or relative
also suffering the same loss may bring
a feeling of closeness with that
person.
HELP - Tell others how they may
help you. Accept that they won't
always speak or act appropriately
according to your expectations.
Grinnell is an academically demanding
place. The ability to think clearly and
accomplish a lot of work will be
impaired by loss of sleep, loss of
appetite or improper nourishment,
over-use of alcohol/drugs, and
emotional turmoil. It's time to seek
professional assistance when any of
these things begin getting in your way.
If you are feeling overwhelmed for
more than a few days, call one of the
resources listed below:
• Your SA or RLC
• Chaplains - x4981
• Academic Advising - x3702
• Poweshiek County Mental
Health Center - 236-6137
• Health Center - x3230
ACADEMICS - Accept the fact that
some things will have to slide for a
while. If you find that you are
struggling academically, call
Academic Advising x3702.
PROCESS - Accept the slowness of
the process. Do not label yourself as
"crazy" or "weak", especially if you
seek help.
GOALS - For a while, it may seem
that much of life is without meaning.
At times like these, small goals are
helpful. Be concrete. Get out of bed.
Take a shower. Eat meals with
friends. "Do the do". Plan fun things
to balance your school work.
|
Try to find something you enjoy each day. Live
one day at a time.
REST - RELAXATION - EXERCISE - NOURISHMENT - DIVERSION
- You may need extra amounts of
things you needed before. Hot
showers, afternoon naps, a trip, a
"cause" to work for to help others -
any of these may give you a lift.
Emotions can be exhausting. You
need to replenish yourself. Follow
what feels healing to you and what
connects you to the people and things
you love. Remember to breathe. Try
meditation, quiet time or prayer.
HOPE - You may find hope and
comfort from those who have
experienced a similar loss. Knowing
some things that helped them, and
realizing that they have recovered and
time does help, may give you hope
that sometime in the future your pain
and confusion will be less raw and
painful. It's normal to re-prioritize, to
question your belief system. Don't be
afraid to talk with a professional
about these things. Notice what is
going well and attend to the things
that are good in your life.
SMALL PLEASURES - Do not
underestimate the healing effects of
small pleasures as you are ready.
Sunsets, a walk, a favorite food - all
are small steps toward regaining your
pleasure in life itself. Moments of joy,
laughter and fun are very important. It
is not disrespectful after a death or a
crisis.
EXERCISE - Alternate periods of
strenuous physical exercise and
relaxation in order to alleviate some
of your body's physical reactions to
stress.
DRUGS - Do not try to numb the
pain with drugs or alcohol; you do not need to
complicate the situations with a
substance abuse problem.
STRESS - Realize that others are
also under stress.
Everyone shows stress differently -
there are regional, cultural differences in response to
stress, loss and grief.
THE BASICS - Don't forget to eat
nutritious food and go to sleep earlier
than usual.
|
Typical Experiences During Grief
Emptiness
Disorganization
Disorientation
Indecisiveness
Vulnerability
Anxiety
Change in sleep patterns
Change in appetite
Extreme loneliness
Increased irritability
Feeling abandoned
Inability to concentrate
Loss of interest in life
Anger
Guilt
Helplessness
Depression
Panicky thoughts
Relief
|
Poweshiek County Mental Health Center
200 Fourth Avenue West
236-6137
Mon.-Fri.: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Thurs.: 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
24-hr Emergency Services:
236-2380
(This number is answered by the
Grinnell Regional Medical Center
Emergency Room staff. Tell them that
you need to talk with the mental
health on-call person. Give your name
and phone number so the call an be
returned.)
24-hr Emergency - for On-call
RLC
8 a.m.-5 p.m.: 269-3700
(Office of Student Affairs)
After 5 p.m. until 8 a.m.: 269-4600
(This number is Campus Security.
Tell them that you want to talk with
the RLC on-call and give your first
name and a phone number so the call
can be returned.)
Suicide Prevention Hot Line
1-800-332-4224
Hours for the following offices are
8 a.m.-5 p.m. unless noted.
Student Affairs
269-3700
College Health Center
269-3230
Chaplain
269-4981,
after 5 p.m.
236-7692
Academic Advising Office
269-3702
Multicultural Affairs
269-3703
Sexual Assault Education Coordinator
269-3714
Residence Life and Housing Office
269-3700
24-hour Confidential Sexual Assault Advocate
800-779-3512
|
