Complicated grief is a recently recognized condition that occurs in about 7% of bereaved people. People with this condition are caught up in rumination about the circumstances of the death, worry about its consequences, or excessive avoidance of reminders of the loss. Unable to comprehend the finality and consequences of the loss, they resort to excessive avoidance of reminders of the loss as they are tossed helplessly on waves of intense emotion.
People with complicated grief need help, and clinicians need to know how to recognize the symptoms and how to provide help. This paper provides a framework to help clinicans understand bereavement,
grief, and mourning. Evidence-based diagnostic criteria are provided to help clinicians recognize complicated grief, and differentiate it from depression as well as anxiety disorder.
We provide an overview of risk factors and basic assumptions and principles that can guide treatment.I have never climbed Mt. Everest, but I sometimes think it would be easier than navigating the pathway through grief.
Loss of a loved one is a natural, universally experienced life event, and at the same time, among life’s most challenging experiences. We expect people to react strongly to bereavement,
and engage in rituals and compassionate behaviors to support those closest to the deceased. Yet, in spite of the shared experience and strong social support,
most bereaved people feel more alone than at any time in their lives. Given the isolation, the intensity, and the unfamiliar experience that is grief, many people turn to physicians or other health care professionals for help.
Clinicians can help, but only if they understand the signs and symptoms of a normal grief experience and how the pathway through grief can go awry The purpose of this paper is to provide a guide to understanding complicated grief.
