What to expect when grief returns

The course of grief is unpredictable. Anniversary reactions can last for days at a time or — in more extreme cases — much longer. During an anniversary reaction you might experience the intense emotions and reactions that you first experienced when you lost your loved one, including:

• Anger
• Anxiety
• Crying spells
• Depression
• Fatigue, or lack of energy
• Guilt
• Loneliness
• Pain
• Sadness
• Trouble sleeping

Anniversary reactions can also evoke powerful memories of the feelings and events surrounding your loved one's death. For example, you might remember in great detail where you were and what you were doing when your loved one died.