Resiliency: Navigating through Grief

According to the American Psychological Association (2024) grief, "...is the anguish experienced after a significant loss." It is the emotional response to loss (Mughal et al., 2023).

Mourning is the outward expression of grief and includes cultural and religious customs surrounding the death (Mughal et al., 2023). It is also the process of adapting to life after loss. 

Bereavement is a period of grief and mourning after a loss (Mughal et al., 2023).

Anticipatory grief is a response to an expected loss (i.e. a terminal illness) (Mughal et al., 2023).

Disenfranchised grief (also known as hidden grief) is grief that society limits, does not expect, or may not allow a person to express (i.e. stillborn babies, pet loss, etc.) (APA, 2018)

While grief is usually due to the death of a significant person, grief can also occur due to:

• loss of pet
• remorse for something done
• sorrow due to mishap done to oneself
• loss of relationship
• medical issue (ex. loss of limb, loss of independence, etc.)
• traumatic event

Physical Symptoms of grief may include (Michigan.gov, 2024):

• fatigue
• headaches
• nausea
• restlessness
• upset stomach
• heart palpitations
• weak muscles or joint pain
• tightness in the chest or throat
• reduced or increased appetite
• insomnia or sleeping too much

Behavioral changes of grief may include (Michigan.gov, 2024):

• confusion
• trouble thinking or making decisions
• lost sense of hope or direction
• difficulty focusing
• difficulty remembering or keeping track of your responsibilities

As of March 2022, the APA officially added the diagnosis of Prolonged Grief Disorder to the DSM-V. According to the DSM-V, the diagnosis for prolonged grief is (APA, 2022):

An individual with prolonged grief disorder may experience intense longing for the person who has died or preoccupation with thoughts of that person. In children and adolescents, the preoccupation may focus on the circumstances around the death. Additionally, the individual may experience significant distress or problems performing daily activities at home, work, or other important areas. Persistent grief is disabling and affects everyday functioning in a way that typical grieving does not.

For a diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder, the loss of a loved one had to have occurred at least a year ago for adults, and at least 6 months ago for children and adolescents. In addition, the grieving individual must have experienced at least three of the symptoms below almost every day for at least the last month before the diagnosis.

Symptoms of prolonged grief disorder include (APA, 2022):

• Identity disruption (such as feeling as though part of oneself has died).
• Marked sense of disbelief about the death.
• Avoidance of reminders that the person is dead.
• Intense emotional pain (such as anger, bitterness, sorrow) related to the death.
• Difficulty with reintegration (such as problems engaging with friends, pursuing interests, planning for the future).
• Emotional numbness (absence or marked reduction of emotional experience).
• Feeling that life is meaningless.
• Intense loneliness (feeling alone or detached from others

This short video introduces the concept of Complicated Grief, which was discovered and tested for treatment by CSSW Professor Kathy Shear.