How Grief and Loss May Present
Grief and loss affect children, teens, and adults differently, though many experiences overlap. Grief may show up as anxiety, depression, stress, overwhelm, numbness, isolation, guilt, shame, uncertainty, or feeling lonely, lost, and disconnected.
Responding to grief and living through loss is not a personal failure; grief and loss are natural responses to life experiences that are distressing, overwhelming, and disorienting. People find ways to feel safe and cope as best they know how, survive, protect themselves, and move through painful experiences that feel difficult to understand, accept, and live with as a new reality.
Grief and loss may also seem difficult to talk about openly — especially when death, dying, change, or emotional pain were avoided in conversation or not modeled safely within a person’s home or community. While support cannot remove grief, support can help the experience of loss feel less isolating and more manageable to carry.
There is no “right” way to grieve or process through a loss. Healing does not follow a perfect timeline, and grief work may involve rebuilding, adjusting, remembering, releasing, sustaining connection, or simply learning how to carry what feels heavy. Even people who appear strong and capable sometimes need space to rest, unravel, feel supported, or simply be human.
Grief and emotional distress may show up differently across developmental stages and life experiences. The following are some common ways grief may present, though every individual’s experience is unique.
Kids
Children often express grief through behavior, play, physical symptoms, or emotional changes rather than direct verbal expression. Some signs may include:
increased clinginess or separation anxiety
repetitive questions about events, death, illness, or changes
tantrums, meltdowns, or intense emotional reactions
aggressive, controlling, or shutting down
play or making art centered around hospitals, death, dying, caregiving, or rescue themes
creating characters or imaginative roles involving doctors, nurses, caretakers, or caring for stuffed animals/plushies
experiencing “phantom” symptoms or fears related to the illness, injury, or condition of the deceased or dying person
difficulty self-soothing or regulating emotions
regression or testing boundaries at home or school
changes in sleep, appetite, or physical symptoms such as nausea, stomachaches, headaches, or vomiting, and dizziness
Tweens & Teens
Tween and teen grief can sometimes look like withdrawal, irritability, emotional shutdown, or attempts to regain control during uncertainty. Signs may include:
isolation or emotional withdrawal beyond typical alone time or needed downtime
increased frustration, anger, irritability, or impatience
sudden or gradual changes in friendships, relationships, or social dynamics
identity struggles or questioning sense of self, belonging, values, or family expectations
avoidance, dismissal, or difficulty engaging with school, family, responsibilities, or daily routines
sudden or gradual changes in academic performance or
increased anxiety, stress, or emotional overwhelm
increased participation in risk-taking behaviors or difficulty coping with distress
existing anxiety, depression, stress, or other emotional struggles becoming more intensified or noticeable
Adults
Adult grief may appear emotionally, cognitively, physically, or behaviorally. Some common experiences include:
difficulty concentrating, struggles with focus and clarity
noticing and experiencing “grief brain.”
emotional exhaustion or numbness
feeling disconnected, surreal, or overwhelmed
senses feel dulled or altered, such as taste, smell, vision, or become more sensitive to touch
staying overly busy to avoid emotional pain
may be highly aware cognitively but not processing feelings or emotions
helplessness, loss of control, or isolation
fatigue, tension, body aches, or physical stress symptoms or intensified physical symptoms
unexpected emotional release or delayed grief reactions
Grief is not something to “fix”, feel pressured, rush through, or perform. Healing loss begins by creating space for pain to be acknowledged, witnessed, and supported with compassion rather than judgment.
Whether grief is connected to death, trauma, relationships, identity, life transitions, or any other forms of loss, support can help. You do not have to carry it alone.
Grief can feel isolating, disorienting, and difficult to carry alone, especially when emotions, behaviors, or physical symptoms begin affecting daily life, relationships, or a sense of self. Whether loss is connected to death, illness, trauma, caregiving, identity, relationships, or life transitions, support can help create space for what feels overwhelming to be acknowledged with compassion rather than judgment.
The 3 Brushes offers grief-informed, trauma-informed art therapy for children, teens, and adults in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Through creative expression, reflection, and therapeutic support, art therapy can help individuals process emotions, reconnect with themselves, and navigate grief in ways that words alone may not always reach.
