Learn About Grief
Prolonged grief disorder is a mental health condition that’s included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
Grief is the feeling you have when you lose someone or something important to you. Many people first feel grief when a loved one dies, a big relationship ends, or they go through a big life change, like finding out they have a serious illness. Everyone experiences grief in their own way, but it often includes feelings like anger, sadness, and loneliness. These feelings are a normal part of coping with a big loss.
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Symptoms include:
- Bitterness
- Inability to enjoy life or positive emotions
- Intense sorrow
- Lack of trust
- Reduced focus on matters other than loss
- Problems accepting loss
Risk factors include:
- Major loss
- Social isolation or loss of support systems
- History of depression
- Traumatic experiences
- Financial hardships
Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross introduced the stages of grief to help explain the different emotions people may feel when dealing with a loss. People may fit the stages exactly, skip stages, or repeat or add stages. The grief process can feel more like a roller coaster of emotions than a set of stages. Learning about the can help us understand and cope with grief.
- Denial: It’s normal to refuse to believe what happened at first or avoid talking about it. Denial can help someone handle the initial shock of a loss by thinking the loss isn’t real or avoiding conversations about it.
- Anger: Feeling angry is a natural part of grieving. This anger might be directed at oneself, other people, or even a higher power. Sometimes, people might blame others for what happened.
- Bargaining: During this stage, a person might think about “what if” or “if only” and try to make mental deals or promises to feel less upset about the loss.
- Depression: Feelings of sadness or hopelessness often appear when the first shock wears off. Visit 1N5’s “Depression” page to learn more. (include link)
- Acceptance: This stage is about understanding and accepting what happened. It allows someone to focus on positive memories and plans for moving forward.
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