Functional Grief: When You’re Still Showing Up but Falling Apart Inside

Krystle and Danette from Grief Unfiltered discuss “functional grief,” describing how people can keep working, parenting, and meeting responsibilities while internally carrying intense exhaustion, sadness, and emotional weight after losing a loved one. They share personal experiences after their dad’s death, including masking feelings in public, feeling judged or misunderstood, questioning their own grief when they appear “fine,” and crashing at home from the effort of coping. They highlight how others often assume functioning means healing, leading to less support, and note the loneliness that follows when check-ins fade. They emphasize permission to not be okay, the importance of processing grief rather than suppressing it, and tools that helped them, including journaling, therapy, and antidepressants, while encouraging listeners to seek support and care for their emotional and physical wellbeing.

📌 Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome to Grief Unfiltered

00:33 What Is Functional Grief

02:19 Krystle's Robotic Routine

05:12 When the Mask Slips

07:52 Highlight Reels and Assumptions

10:09 What Happens at Home

12:36 Questioning Your Own Grief

17:47 Why It’s So Exhausting

21:11 What Others Misunderstand

22:41 Permission to Ask for Help

24:07 From Surviving to Therapy

31:00 Journaling and Final Encouragement

🌿 Get Support:

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