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Introduction |
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What Is Grief? |
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Complicated Grief |
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How to Get Help for Grief |
Introduction
Grief. It’s one of the most basic and universal of human emotions. If you are alive, you either have experienced or will experience grief. Grief can occur when someone experiences a loss…any loss. People generally expect grief to follow a death, but it can also occur after a life-altering illness, after the end of a relationship, losing a pet, or because of giving-up of a dream. But even though grief is a common and universal emotion, it can take on very different forms from one individual to the next.
What Is Grief?
There is no “appropriate” bereavement period for someone who has experienced a loss. Grief is a very individual experience and can vary in length and intensity from person to person, and even from one loss to another. Grief is the natural and healthy task of processing a loss and it can include significant mental, physical, social, and/or emotional reactions. With support from friends and family, however, most individuals are able to grieve their losses and successfully leave the mourning period in their own time. These individuals are generally able to move into the next stage of life with an emotional and spiritual renewal. Time is also a natural healer of intense pain and emotions which are a part of grief.
Complicated Grief
How does someone know if their grieving becomes unhealthy? Grief can sometimes become what is called complicated grief: grief, which is identified by a significantly extended period of symptoms, an inability to function in daily activities, and/or the presence of very intense symptoms such as violent or prolonged anger or suicidal thoughts and feelings.
Complicated grief can appear as a major depression or even post-traumatic stress disorder, both of which can seriously interfere with functioning. Individuals who are experiencing complicated grief seem unable to move forward and find resolution. At that point, grief stops being a healthy and necessary vehicle for growth and becomes a dark and menacing adversary.
How to Get Help for Grief
If someone is suffering from complicated grief, the best approach is to seek psychological help, perhaps with medication support. While complicated grief like other mental health needs disorders can’t simply be wished away, individuals can usually be assisted through the grief process by a professional and return to a more stable level of functioning.
There are many highly trained social workers available to help those whose suffering is unnaturally prolonged or considered complicated. Many individuals experiencing grief receive support from loved ones, friends, clergy, support groups, online information. They may also receive support from printed materials and sometimes short-term counseling. Temporary medication assistance may help get some individuals through difficult times like the funeral or related events which trigger memories and emotions about their loss.
Many people who experience grief are resilient but they may need formal or informal support of some kind.
