BALTIMORE MARYLAND (WMAR) — Grief is an inevitable part of life, but for many men, it's a part of life they struggle to deal with.
Dr. Drew Pate, Chief of Psychiatry at Life Bridge Health, says there are a couple of things to remember about grief.
"One is that there is no right way to do it. There is no book that tells us these are the steps that you take, this is what you do and this is how you grieve. The second thing to remember about grief is that its not a condition. It’s not something to be gotten over but it’s a process." said Pate.
While there's no right or wrong way to grieve, leaning on loved ones is key in processing grief.
Dr. Pate says looking to community resources whether they’re spiritual, educational, or medical is needed to grieve properly. He warns men against falling into the belief that asking for help is a sign of weakness.
According to Dr. Pate, grief is a never ending process. If one tries to cut off that process, it could manifest in other ways.
"It may be affecting your thinking. It may be affecting your mood. It may be affecting your future relationships...Our emotions definitely effect our physical well being. Men are many times more likely to be disconnected from the emotional side and more connected to the physical. So they’ll complain about having headaches or stomach aches or insomnia a lot but not really connect it to the underlying emotions that might be driving it or contributing to it."
