Grief is a personal and non-linear journey, and there is no single "right" way to heal. The well-known five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) are a framework for understanding common emotions, not a rigid checklist or a prescribed set of steps for healing.
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Normal grief
Normal, or uncomplicated, grief is the typical response to loss that gradually decreases in intensity over time as a person adjusts to their new reality. It is a common experience that can include a wide range of emotions, such as sadness, anger, and numbness.
- Examples: Grief following the death of a close friend or family member.
Anticipatory grief
This type of grief is experienced before an actual loss occurs, such as when a loved one receives a terminal diagnosis or has a prolonged illness. It can include feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt, and a focus on the impending loss.
- Examples: A person with a terminal illness preparing for their own death, or a family caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's who is psychologically absent.
Complicated grief
Also known as prolonged grief disorder, this occurs when the grieving process is intense, long-lasting (typically over a year), and significantly disrupts a person's daily life. It involves a persistent, heightened state of mourning that keeps the person from healing. Subtypes include:
- Chronic grief: Ongoing and intense feelings of grief that do not subside over time.
- Delayed grief: The conscious or unconscious suppression of grief, with symptoms emerging much later after the loss.
- Exaggerated grief: An intense and overwhelming reaction to grief that may involve self-destructive behaviors, nightmares, or suicidal thoughts.
- Masked grief: Grief where the individual is unaware that certain behaviors or physical symptoms are interfering with their daily life as a result of the loss.
- Examples: A person unable to perform daily routines or isolate themselves from others years after a significant death.
Disenfranchised grief
This grief is not socially acknowledged, publicly mourned, or supported, often because the loss is not recognized or is stigmatized. This can make the grieving person feel isolated and invalidated.
- Examples: Grief following the loss of a pet, a miscarriage, an ex-partner, or a death related to suicide or drug overdose.
Ambiguous loss
This is a grief without closure due to the lack of certainty about the loss. It can be divided into two main categories:
- Physical absence with psychological presence: A person is physically gone, but their fate is unknown.
- Examples: A missing person, a kidnapped child, or a soldier missing in action.
- Physical presence with psychological absence: A person is physically present, but is emotionally or cognitively unavailable.
- Examples: A loved one with advanced dementia, a severe brain injury, or addiction.
Traumatic grief
This form of grief follows a loss that occurs under horrific, violent, or unpredictable circumstances. The traumatic nature of the death is processed alongside the grief, and it can be accompanied by symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Examples: A death from a car accident, a murder, a natural disaster, or an act of terrorism.
Collective grief
This is a shared sorrow experienced by a community, society, or even the world following a large-scale tragedy or disaster.
- Examples: The grief experienced collectively after the September 11th terrorist attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic, or a school shooting.
Other forms of grief
- Absent grief: Showing no outward signs of grief, which might indicate shock or deep denial.
- Cumulative grief: Experiencing multiple losses in a short period, which can overwhelm a person's ability to cope.
- Abbreviated grief: A relatively short and quickly resolved grief process, possibly because the loss was anticipated
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