The Difference Between Grief and Mourning

When someone loses a loved one, the words “grief” and “mourning” are often used to describe their experiences. But what are the differences between the two? In this article, we will discuss grief, mourning, and how they relate. 

What is Grief?

Grief is our internal feelings of deep sadness and loss. Your experience of grief may be different from those around you. And your experiences with grief can differ vastly from different losses. For example, people will generally experience the loss of a parent differently from the loss of a close friend or a partner.

What is Mourning?

Mourning is the social externalization of our loss. In many ways, it is a way of grieving together. Funeral rituals, memorial services, and other social grieving gatherings are a part of mourning. Often, mourning rituals are safe spaces to express our feelings of grief. 

Why do we Need Grief?

In many ways, grief is the brain’s way of processing and dealing with loss. The pain of an intense loss in your life can affect you deeply. The immense sadness, numbness, or other aspects of your grief are your brain trying to deal with the intense weight of loss. Some experts believe that grief can serve as a part of the human survival instinct. According to the American Brain Foundation, grief is a part of your brain’s natural defense mechanisms. Traumatic loss can be a threat to your survival, and grief helps us work through this challenge. 

Why is Mourning Important?

  Getting together to grieve and mourn the loss of a loved one can be important to the healing process. Funerals and memorial services help gather loved ones to begin the healing process together. This gives people a good start along their grieving journey. Grief can be lonely at times. By coming together to mourn, we can connect as a community in our grief. This helps us find healthy ways to express our sadness together. Mourning together at a funeral service helps individuals find love, support, and strength to face their grief and begin healing. 

The author of this post is not a professional therapist or counselor. For more personalized grief care, find a grief counselor that is right for you. For our Grief Resource Center, written by Dr. Bill Webster, click here. 
For over 50 years, Matthew Funeral Home has been serving the Staten Island community. We can help with almost every aspect of your loved one’s memorial service. Our family is here to serve yours, every step of the way.