How to Deal with Losses

Loss or impending loss is a common cause of depression or stress. Losses can be in the area ‘of health, wealth, possessions or, relationships. The perspective of many Eastern philosophies is helpful in learning how to deal with ‘the loss and get back to normal life.

The Problem

For many people, a large amount of emotional energy attached to winning (friends, money, jobs), that the same degree of emotions is inevitably attached to the opposite, that of losing.

The Solution

In times of loss, the following ideas may be helpful:

• For every loss there is something gained: Experiences, realizations, new opportunities.
• Nothing can be permanent: Beauty, health, jobs, political power. Expect the unexpected.
• You never truly own something, you are merely assigned to take care of it. If you never owned it, how can you have lost it?
• Life as a whole or each period of life (e.g. your school years) has many similarities to dreams. When you were in it, you swore that it was real, but once the period has passed, it vanishes, no longer touchable.

Whatever you are securely holding on to may be gone when you wake up.