For many people, grief manifests itself primarily as depression. Depression, which is a normal reaction to a loss, can be the most difficult and long-lasting phase of grieving. Depressed people feel tired, isolated, hopeless, helpless, lonely, and sad. They have trouble concentrating, making decisions, and experience change in their eating and sleeping habits. Every object becomes a painful reminder.
Life seems pointless and without hope.
As grief lessens and we find other reasons to live, depression usually fades. Fear and anxiety are natural components of grief. Episodes of panic and other physical symptoms such as disturbed sleep, appetite changes, restlessness and fatigue are not uncommon during the first three to six months of grief. Loss shows us how vulnerable we are - that we have no guarantees in life. People close to us die, divorce, or move away.