It's not just psychological, but physical, too.
, associate professor in the department of psychology at Christopher Newport University.
“We’re beings that need things to touch and look at and smell and experience,” Lee explained. “People hang on to things to bring back those memories; to have those connections.” And that can be a good thing. “We used to joke about how she could never find anything in her so-called organizer bag,” Jamieson said. “Each pocket held something very mundane and personal: a cigarette and lighter, mints, a lipstick, hearing aid batteries, a sanitary pad, handwritten lists that she made and her wallet containing photo ID and bank cards.” After six months of going through the bag every day, Jamieson unbelievably discovered a zipped pocket with a set of keys inside.
Cormier believes that clothing “is something we can hold on to that helps us move from a state of acute grief into different phases of that grief; something that helps us integrate and accept the loss.”The short answer to this question is yes, and then some. “I feel closer to him when I have it around me. I mean, it sits in my closet 90% of the time. But in those moments when a wave hits, I sometimes put it on and curl up on my bed.”“I spritz it with patchouli whenever I wear it, and say hi to nana and tell her what’s new with Hazel and how much I miss her,” Way said.