Grief & Loss
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What is Grief?
Grief is a natural and inevitable response to loss.
It can affect every aspect of a person’s life, including their thoughts, emotions, behaviours, physical health, and relationships. While many people are able to adapt to loss with the support of family and friends, others may find their grief overwhelming and benefit from additional support.
Grief can bring a wide range of emotional and physical reactions, such as sadness, anger, anxiety, numbness, sleep disturbances, and physical discomfort, and can also influence how we think about ourselves and the future. Importantly, grief is deeply personal; there is no “right” or “wrong” way to grieve, and cultural, spiritual, and individual differences shape how it is experienced and expressed.
Rather than something we “get over,” grief becomes part of us, and over time we learn to live with the loss and adapt to a new sense of normal.
There is also no set timeline for grief, it may resurface at any stage of life, even years later.
Looking after yourself during grief is essential, whether through personal reflection, creative expression, maintaining routines, or seeking support from others. Sharing experiences, accepting help, and connecting with support networks can reduce isolation.
While most people gradually adjust, professional support may be helpful if grief feels unmanageable or especially complex.
Reference: Growing around grief - another way of looking at grief and recovery
L Tonkin Bereavement Care 15 (1), 10-10, 1996
Types of Grief
Acute Grief
The immediate, often overwhelming emotional and physical reaction soon after a loss.
Disenfranchised Grief
Loss that is not openly acknowledged, socially validated, or publicly mourned, such as the loss of an ex-spouse, pet, or miscarriage.
Traumatic/Sudden Grief
Intense shock and distress following unexpected or violent loss.
Prolonged/Complicated Grief
Intense, long-lasting grief that prevents an individual from integrating the loss and resuming normal life, often lasting longer than 6–12 months.
Cumulative Grief
Occurs when multiple losses happen in a short time, overwhelming an individual’s capacity to cope.
Collective Grief
Shared sorrow within a community or nation, often following disasters, terror attacks, or the death of a public figure.
Anticipatory Grief
Grief experienced before an expected loss, such as during a loved one's terminal illness.
Delayed/Absent Grief
When reactions are postponed, suppressed, or unexpressed initially, often emerging much later.
Ambiguous Loss/Grief
A loss that lacks closure or clear definition, such as a missing person or a loved one with Alzheimer's.
Why did we choose a Wattle?
The wattle flower is a deeply meaningful Australian symbol of resilience, renewal, and unity.
This makes it particularly significant in times of grief and remembrance.
The Wattle's remarkable ability to regenerate and bloom after bushfires represents hope, endurance, and new beginnings following adversity.
As a national symbol, Australians are encouraged to wear a sprig of wattle on days of mourning as an expression of reflection, remembrance, and collective support.
The flower also holds profound cultural significance for First Nations peoples, who have used wattle for medicine, food, and tools for tens of thousands of years and whose seasonal knowledge connects its flowering to the natural cycles of life, death, and rebirth across the Australian landscape.
This page and stickers were developed in collaboration with AnglicareWA, Wesley Mission, Thirrili, BeYou headspace and StandBy WA.
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Ngaala Kaaditj Noongar moort keyen kaadak nidja boodja. We respectfully acknowledge the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation as the Traditional Custodians on this land on which we meet. We pay our respects to their strength, cultural resilience and the Elders past and present, and their continuing connection to the land on which we live, work and play. We welcome and support the proposal of the Voice and accept the invitation made to us though the Uluru Statement of the Heart.
Note: This website provides general mental health information only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or crisis care
Research & Privacy Notice:
Engage Connect is part of a research initiative focused on interrupting distress and redirecting people to support services. No personal or identifiable information is collected or used. Limited, non‑identifiable demographic data may be used for research purposes to help understand mental health needs across Western Australia.
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