What Are Bereavement, Grief, and Mourning?
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), bereavement is the condition of having a significant loss. This may be the death of a loved one, a divorce, losing your job, being diagnosed with a significant health condition, or another profound loss or trauma.
Grief is the anguish you feel after you have experienced loss. It can last for quite some time, and the process of working through grief is deeply personal. Support groups, professional therapy, and other resources can help you move through the healing process.
Mourning is the process of expressing grief after a loss. You can experience mourning over major losses, like a sudden death, as well as smaller events, such as moving away from home. There’s no reason to be ashamed of your feelings as you mourn and move through grief, no matter what event has caused it.
The Five Stages of Grief
The “five stages of grief” were created during research into patients facing terminal illnesses, but they apply to many other kinds of grief and loss as well. The five stages are:
- Denial: This isn’t happening.
- Anger: Why is this happening? Whose fault is it?
- Bargaining: Make this not happen, and I will __.
- Depression: This loss is overwhelming; I’m sad and hopeless.
- Acceptance: I have come to terms with the loss.
It’s important to remember that you may not move through the five stages in order. It’s common to go back to previous stages and cope with them again in a deeper way.
Types of Grief and Loss
There are multiple types of grief that individuals and families can experience. Sometimes these are impacted by the events that happened or the relationship the clients have with the person they lost. For example, losing your parents can be a very different experience than losing a child.
Here are two kinds of grief that are less often discussed:
- Anticipatory Grief: This kind of grief happens before a loss that you expect to happen, such as the death of a loved one or the end of a relationship. Anticipatory grief includes a range of emotions, including anger and hopelessness. Some people try to block any grief before a loss, feeling like they are giving up hope. However, this kind of grief can give you time to say goodbyes and prepare for the loss.
- Disenfranchised Grief: This type of grief happens when your loss is downplayed or minimized by your community or loved ones. For example, losing a pet may be seen as “not a big deal” when it matters a great deal to you. This can make it difficult to come to terms with the loss, and finding healing may involve talking to a social work professional or getting counseling.
Overcoming grief isn’t easy, and you don’t have to do it alone. Getting appropriate support services and treatment programs from a clinic like Woburn Addiction Treatment can help you find meaning and start building your future path forward.
Common Myths About Grief
Unfortunately, there is still a lot of stigma about mental health conditions, including grief and grieving. That means that many people get poor information and believe myths that make it harder to cope and find support. Here are some common myths and the truth.
Myth: You have to “be strong” when you face loss.
Truth: Crying or feeling sadness, fear, or loneliness is normal when you suffer a loss, even a small one. You don’t have to put on a brave front or protect loved ones by not expressing your feelings.
Myth: Pain goes away if you ignore it.
Truth: Your pain will still impact your life, even if you try to ignore it or push it down. Avoiding it only makes it worse in the long run. Fortunately, there are ways to get personalized care, both in person and through telehealth.
Myth: If I start crying, I might never stop.
Truth: Facing strong emotions can be intimidating. However, you are strong enough to face your grief and move through it, and there are many ways to get the support you need.
Myth: You have to cry to grieve.
Truth: Crying is one response to being sad, but it’s not the only one. You may experience grief in other ways, such as being angry, struggling with sleep, or having changes in your appetite. In today’s fast-paced world, you might funnel your grief into activities such as working more hours or going to the gym more often. Some people also turn to substance use and other unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Myth: Grieving should last about one year.
Truth: There’s no set amount of time to work through grief. Each person experiences it differently, and there’s no shame in taking more or less time to grieve a loss.
Myth: If you move on with your life, you’re dishonoring the loss.
Truth: This is a tough myth to see someone struggle with. They may think that moving on after the loss means forgetting the person who died or minimizing the loss that happened. This isn’t true — you can move forward in a healthy way and carry the memory of a person or situation with you. These memories can be an integral part of finding joy again.
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What is Prolonged Grief Disorder?
Sometimes called “complicated grief,” Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) is a specific diagnosis for times when the feelings of grief don’t begin to decrease over time. Instead, the emotions of sadness and longing become a fixation, and the grief is disabling and affects daily functioning.
For children, teens, and young adults, the preoccupation may be on the circumstances around the death or loss. Often, people with PGD are overly focused on thoughts about the person or situation that they lost.
The distinction between PGD and depression is that in cases of depression, clients feel like their emotions are muted. In PGD, emotions are very strong and overwhelming, and generally focus on longing for the lost loved one or situation.
According to the APA, 7-10% of adults who suffer bereavement will experience PGD, and 5-10% of children and adolescents with significant loss will experience PGD, posttraumatic stress disorder, or depression.
Symptoms and Diagnosis of PGD
PGD is listed in the DSM-5-TR, and the criteria for diagnosis include feeling at least three of these symptoms nearly every day for the past month:
- Feeling that life is meaningless
- Emotional numbness
- Intense loneliness
- Disruption of identity, as if part of them has died
- Avoidance of reminders of the loved one’s death or events of loss
- Marked sense of disbelief about the death or loss
- Intense emotional pain about the death or loss
- Difficulty reintegrating with life, friends, and interests
For grief to be PGD, the clients’ bereavement also lasts longer than what might be expected based on cultural or social norms.
PGD Treatment and Grief Support Groups
People who have suffered a loss and are going through grief are often helped by the support they can get from grief support groups. For those with PGD, a more focused therapeutic approach is vital to give them grief support and help them learn healthy coping strategies.
Grief Support Groups
Support groups for those grieving are often led by a trained facilitator, but don’t usually provide specific therapeutic approaches. Instead, the goal is to create a safe space for people to share their emotions and move toward healing.
Most people benefit from programs that allow them to explore their feelings openly and hear from others about the paths they have taken. Both adults and children can benefit from age-appropriate groups.
Many individuals are more willing to take advantage of the services of support groups because there is less stigma about being in this type of group compared to seeking individual counseling or other therapy services. Listening to the experiences of others and sharing their own stories can help people build resilience and get the support they need to move forward with hope in life.
However, grief support groups may not be the right treatment option for everyone. Because people express grief differently, the right grief support options are deeply personal. You may be able to rely on family members, connect to a faith community, or find other resources that fit your needs.
Psychotherapy
Getting professional therapy is another important form of grief support, especially for those with PGD. It can help clients and families come to terms with death, connect to support in their community, and reclaim their sense of hope.
Recent research has shown promising results for integrated group therapy when it comes to managing grief due to the death of a loved one, especially if that loss was unexpected. Clients who suffered the death of a loved one and participated in evidence-based group therapy reported lower rates of anger, depression, and guilt after treatment. Getting professional help in support groups also helps reduce the feelings of loneliness and isolation that may follow the loss of a loved one.
During group or individual counseling, a therapist can provide guidance and help patients learn mindfulness techniques, coping strategies, and healthy ways to move through the grieving process. Families can also participate in therapy together, getting the support services they need to address sadness and move toward healing.
Medication
Surprisingly, medication isn’t particularly helpful as a treatment for grief. However, it can be an important intervention for those who have developed additional mental health concerns, such as depression or anxiety, as a result of their loss.
In the case of depression or anxiety, medication is used alongside counseling and other grief support. Patients can learn personal growth strategies that help them in their healing, connect to community resources, and participate in support groups so they can build new relationships and find hope for the future.
Get the Grief Support You Need For Healing
Grief can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. At Woburn Addiction Treatment, we’re dedicated to supporting individuals struggling with grief through compassionate care and evidence-based treatment.
Our team of mental health professionals is here to help you explore coping strategies, engage in individual counseling, and participate in grief support groups tailored to your needs. Whether you’re dealing with the loss of a loved one, experiencing prolonged grief disorder, or seeking support for your emotional well-being, we’re here to assist you on your journey toward healing.
Contact us today at (781) 622-9190 to learn more about our services and how we can support you. Let us help you find the strength to move forward and embrace a future filled with hope and resilience
