Are Grief and Sorrow the Same Thing?

May 19, 2021

Every single person on this planet will go through periods of sadness in their life- happiness does not last forever, after all! When we talk about grief then there’s really no difference between sorrow and grief; while they both share similar definitions (sorrow: “deep regret,” whereas grieving means that someone has been bereaved or otherwise suffered great loss), only one word tells us how long it takes before you are able to move past your pain.

Sadness is a universal emotion that we all go through at some point. Sadness can be triggered by different events, such as the death of loved one or losing your job- almost every person will get sad in their lifetime. You cannot escape sadness no matter what you do; however, grief and sorrow are not necessarily interchangeable terms because with both emotions comes a feeling of loss for something important to them, but they differ on how long it lasts

According to Ph.D. scholar Robin Dee (a psychologist having experience of more than 30 years) said that “It’s an emotion we sometimes think about negatively and it actually is not, it’s a very adaptive feeling.” He also said that “Being sad allows us to deal with painful experiences and loss. It can be cathartic and relieve tension. “It also aids in empathy for ourselves and what we’re going through, but it’s also an emotion that can help us access other people’s pain and suffering.”

What is Sorrow?

When we talk about the actual meanings of sorrow then sorrow is an emotion, sentiment, or feelings. We can also say that sorrow is more intense than sadness. Sorrow also means deep stress, sadness, for the loss of someone or something.

What is Grief?

Grief is a normal part of our human experience here on earth.

Grief is the name of the process your heart goes through when it has been broken.

Broken hearts grieve. We are grievers.
We experience grief.

You must go through grief. Grief cannot be escaped. Grief is natural.
Grief is a broken heart. Grief is unique to you.

No one knows how you feel.
Grief hurts.
Grief is not intellectual.
Your grief can never be compared to anyone. Grief is the price of your love.

Difference between Grief and Sorrow:

Grief and sorrow go together, but there is a slight difference in the two.  Grief is the name of the process that your heart goes through when you have experienced a loss.  Sorrow is the emotion that your heart is feeling.

 

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