By: Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
Counseling Psychologist, Dr. Dela Mawutor has revealed that it is very therapeutic to wail if the urge arises while one is grieving. According to her, people have had the misconception that it is important to be strong in the face of loss however she emphasized that people should be able to wail or cry whenever they have a loss.
‘’When you feel like wailing , go ahead and do it, it’s very therapeutic but just don’t remain in a particular state for too long like crying the whole day’’, she said.
Speaking on GTV’s ‘Breakfast Show’ on August 8, 2025, in the midst of the aviation tragedy that has shaken the whole nation, she acknowledged that while the nation mourns the fallen heroes, it should not forget that there is no one way to grief, debunking common myths surrounding the emotional process.
According to the Psychologist, ignoring pain will not make it disappear; instead, it can exacerbate the issue in the long run. Facing grief head-on is crucial for real healing.
“People think that if they ignore their pain for a while it will go away, that is a myth because the more you ignore it, it only makes it worse in the long run so for real healing to happen, it is necessary to face your grief head on’’, she indicated.
Dr. Mawutor again debunked the myth that crying makes one weak. According to her, crying does not, in fact, it should be seen as a normal phase. She went on to reveal that it was not a taboo for parents to cry in front of their children since it teaches them not to mask up their emotions. Also, allowing children see their parents’ vulnerability can help them understand that expressing emotions is natural, she added.
If you are not crying, then you are not sorry about the loss is another myth that Dr. Mawutor debunked on the show. She emphasized that crying was not the only response to sadness and so people who do not cry most definitely feel the pain just as deeply as everyone else however, they have other ways of showing their grief.
Addressing the time duration for grief, Dr. Mawutor stated that grieving varied from person to person, and there’s no set timeline for the process. She went on to add how Ghanaians feel grieving should last a year.
She concluded by addressing the myth where moving on meant forgetting about one’s loss. She revealed moving on with one’s life did not mean forgetting the loss but rather signifies acceptance while still cherishing memories. ‘’…moving on means you’ve accepted your loss but that doesn’t mean you’re forgetting’’.
