Complicated Grief and How to Identify It
When it comes to grief, some people say things get better with time. But, is that always the case?
Grief is different for each person. Symptoms vary, and can last longer depending on factors in a person’s life. When Someone continues to experience certain symptoms for more than a year after that loss, it is commonly referred to as complicated grief. Symptoms include feeling intense emotions and having trouble accepting the loss. This can lead to poor physical health, interpersonal relationships, and an inability to carry out daily responsibilities. Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to treat complicated grief.
Definition
Complicated grief is long lasting, and it involves consuming thoughts that do not fade with time and negatively impact a person’s daily life.
Grief is a natural response to the loss of a loved one, and it is a way to cope. People who experience loss tend to feel as if they are stuck in the mud, lost in a fog, or like they are trudging through water. Sufferers may experience pain, sadness, and/or anger. While these symptoms may lessen overtime and at at the individual’s pace, complicated grief does not go away on its own. This condition tends to wear on sufferers physically and emotionally, and in a way that far exceeds what is usually expected.
Complicated grief may cause a person to feel overwhelmed about the cause or circumstances of a loss. They may be worried about the consequences, and feel like they need to avoid or push away reminders of the loss.
Healthcare providers typically refer to complicated grief as prolonged or chronic grief, as well as persistent complex bereavement disorder.
Normal versus complicated grief
What typically separates normal and complicated grief is the period of time a person experiences certain symptoms. Complicated grief is persistent for six months to a year. It can affect a persons ability to function and go on about his or her day as they would have before the loss took place.
Differences in the grieving process
All people grieve when they experience a loss. Each person, however, has a unique process. We are all individuals with different personalities that have been shaped by our life experiences and the environment we live in. These influences dictate how we cope with loss and process grief. How a person processes grief can depend on factors such as background, beliefs, and the relationship to who or what he or she lost. An estimated 7% percent of all adults experience complicated grief.
Symptoms
In some cases, complicated grief becomes so serious that it can lead to suicidal thoughts, insomnia, stress, loss of appetite, difficulty socializing, and even a decline in physical health. Additionally, a person’s interpersonal relationships may be negatively impacted. Grief is not just limited to the loss of a person. It can also include a divorce, moving, or losing a job.
Indicators of complicated grief may include:
• Having overwhelming, intrusive or preoccupying thoughts about loss.
• Feeling intense longing or emotional pain.
• Denying, avoiding or ignoring reminders of loss or surrounding yourself with reminders of a loss.
• Feeling like you no longer have a purpose after a loss.
• Difficulty accepting that the loss happened.
In the long run, complicated grief can affect a person’s mental and physical health. These include depression, anxiety, malnourishment, and even heart disease. Complicated grief can also lead to PTSD, as well as substance and alcohol abuse.
Risk factors for complicated grief include unexpected loss by means of suicide or accident, the loss of an immediate family member, or someone you had a close relationship with, as well as related trauma witnessed during the loss of a person place or a thing. A person is especially at a high risk of experiencing complicated grief when he or she has an underlying or diagnosed mental health condition.
If you have been suffering from complicated grief, help is available. Click here for information about treatment and prevention.