Losing a loved one is never easy. Mariana experienced it firsthand when her partner was diagnosed with a very aggressive lung cancer.
“I cried inconsolably day and night, everything felt like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from,” she recalls.
Grief filled with emotions
The journey was not linear. She went through shock, defiance, depression, and finally acceptance.
“I felt outside of reality, as if everything were a bad dream. I lost my appetite and a lot of weight… anxiety and fear of the future tortured me.”
Her faith also wavered. “I begged God not to leave me alone… but I felt abandoned.”
The body also spoke
Emotional pain had physical consequences. “My immune system weakened, I had pain all over my body. I was alive, but dead inside.”
A step toward change
In the midst of despair, Mariana sought help. She found a support group, Emotionals Anonymous, where she could share her pain and learn to manage her emotions.
“That decision was the best I could have made. I found support, peace, and strength to give meaning to my life.”
Today, a new beginning
“I no longer feel alone, I am no longer afraid of the future. Little by little, depression and anxiety faded away. I learned to respect, to live and let live.”
In the emotional support group , members reinforce each other. This is manifested in the understanding and acceptance of all members of the 12-step program group.
Emotional support helps the person to accept the situation or change it, accompanied and understood in the process by the other members.
