Grief and Loss in Recovery
Use this guide to choose support and prepare a next step after a loss. You do not have to tell the whole story to ask for help.
For: Adults experiencing grief or loss while in addiction treatment or recovery · 2 PDF pages
No email or account is required. Use the PDF or printed spaces for private notes. This guide does not collect worksheet answers. Save and reopen a completed PDF to check your notes.
Grief can affect feelings and daily life
Grief can follow a death, a relationship ending, losing a job or another significant loss. It may bring sadness, anger, numbness or confusion, and changes in sleep, appetite or energy. Grief has no fixed sequence of stages or timetable everyone must meet. These descriptions can help you name what has changed. They are not a diagnosis or a checklist you need to match.
Original words you can borrow
| What I need | A possible opening |
|---|---|
| Company without advice | I do not need you to fix this. Could you sit with me or call this evening? |
| Help with one responsibility | I am struggling to handle the errands this week. Could you help with groceries on Wednesday? |
| Room to remember someone | Would you be willing to listen to a memory? It is okay to tell me if this is not a good time. |
| A conversation with my clinician | Since this loss, these parts of my days have changed. I would like to discuss what support I need. |
Choose the kind of support you need
- For company or practical help, ask someone you trust for something specific. If they cannot help, try another chosen person or a professional. SAMHSA recommends this approach to asking for support.
- For grief support, consider a grief counselor, grief-support group, or community or faith connection that fits you. Ask who it serves, whether support is online or in person, the cost, availability and how to join.
- Not everyone needs counseling for grief. If everyday life is becoming difficult, talk with your doctor or a licensed counselor with grief experience. Describe changes in sleep, meals, concentration or responsibilities without needing to diagnose yourself.
- In the U.S., call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for support if you are struggling or in crisis. Call 911 for immediate physical danger or a medical emergency.
A small support plan
- What I want someone to understand
- Write only what feels useful. You can describe the effect on your days without details of the loss.
- One request and who I will ask
- Request, person, when/how to ask, and a backup contact.
- What I want to discuss with a professional, if relevant
- Changes in sleep, daily functioning, substance-use concerns or ongoing care; questions, not a self-diagnosis.