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ALL / Psychiatry
Grief reaction
Grief reaction
It is normal for people to feel sadness and grief following the death of a loved one and this does not necessarily need to be medicalised. However, having some understanding of the potential stages a person may go through whilst grieving can help determine whether a patient is having a 'normal' grief reaction or is developing a more significant problem.One of the most popular models of grief divides it into 5 stages.
- Denial: this may include a feeling of numbness and also pseudohallucinations of the deceased, both auditory and visual. Occasionally people may focus on physical objects that remind them of their loved one or even prepare meals for them
- Anger: this is commonly directed against other family members and medical professionals
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
It should be noted that many patients will not go through all 5 stages.
Abnormal, or atypical, grief reactions are more likely to occur in women and if the death is sudden and unexpected. Other risk factors include a problematic relationship before death or if the patient has not much social support.
Features of atypical grief reactions include:
- delayed grief: sometimes said to occur when more than 2 weeks passes before grieving begins
- prolonged grief: difficult to define. Normal grief reactions may take up to and beyond 12 months
+PassMedicine Notes
It is normal for people to feel sadness and grief following the death of a loved one and this does not necessarily need to be medicalised. However, having some understanding of the potential stages a person may go through whilst grieving can help determine whether a patient is having a 'normal' grief reaction or is developing a more significant problem.
One of the most popular models of grief divides it into 5 stages.- Denial: this may include a feeling of numbness and also pseudohallucinations of the deceased, both auditory and visual. Occasionally people may focus on physical objects that remind them of their loved one or even prepare meals for them
- Anger: this is commonly directed against other family members and medical professionals
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
It should be noted that many patients will not go through all 5 stages.
Abnormal, or atypical, grief reactions are more likely to occur in women and if the death is sudden and unexpected. Other risk factors include a problematic relationship before death or if the patient has not much social support.
Features of atypical grief reactions include:- delayed grief: sometimes said to occur when more than 2 weeks passes before grieving begins
- prolonged grief: difficult to define. Normal grief reactions may take up to and beyond 12 months