Grief Is Not The Same For Everyone | The 5 Categories of Grief

According to the American Psychological Association, grief is “the anguish experienced after significant loss, usually the death of a beloved person.” Grief is the response to a significant loss and can take the form of remorse, sorrow, or regret. 

Grief cannot be summed up as one event; it is a process one goes through. With no expected “end date,” how long someone grieves varies from person to person. 

The goal is not to rush grief because this could hurt the healing process, which could lead to mental and physical complications like persistent feelings of numbness, fatigue, headaches, insomnia, and unexplained aches. 

5 Different Types of Grief

The five categories of grief are anticipatory, acute, normal, disenfranchised, and complicated. 

Anticipatory grief is often linked to the diagnosis of an illness experienced by patients, families, or caregivers. Anticipatory grief occurs in instances where one anticipates the loss of health, independence, mental function, or financial stability. 

Acute grief occurs after the death of a loved one and is associated with the separation and stress response. During acute grief, the grieving individual has a hard time adapting to life after loss. Associated with a range of emotions, acute grief is known to be an intense period of longing and sadness where the bereaved individual undergoes social withdrawal and is uncertain about their identity. 

The phrasing of “normal” in normal grief refers to typical, not “right” or “wrong.” Normal grief describes the typical reactions people have to a loss. With an average time frame of 6 months to a year (depending on the type of loss), normal grief gets better with time. The feelings of anger, sleep problems, and changes in appetite typically subside as the individual establishes a new life pattern as a means of adjusting to the loss experienced. 

Disenfranchised grief occurs when an individual has experienced a loss but does not feel the freedom to acknowledge their grief due to society’s stance on the circumstances in which it occurred. This type of grief is prominent in instances where parents are grieving the loss of a terminated pregnancy or individuals are mourning the loss of loved ones who have died from suicide or stigmatized illnesses like AIDS. Those mourning may not feel safe expressing their grief due to the circumstances, which can lead to prolonged grief and increased risk of mental health problems. 

Complicated grief occurs from a painful loss that results in a persistent, heightened sense of mourning. This intense type of grief impacts the daily life of the bereaved and is associated with symptoms of feeling detached or persistent numbness, difficulty accepting loss, and identity disruption. The 4 types of complicated grief are chronic, delayed, exaggerated, and masked grief. 

Chronic grief is described as grief that occurs over very long periods, while delayed grief is grief that is postponed or avoided by the individual to avoid the grieving process.

Exaggerated grief stems from an intense reaction to loss that is linked to symptoms like nightmares, phobias, and suicidal thoughts.

Masked grief occurs when an individual starts to exhibit strange behavioral tendencies (behavioral changes that contradict their usual life pattern) as coping mechanisms that seem non-grief-related. Masked grief occurs when the individual is not aware that they are exhibiting behaviors that are interfering with their normal functioning.

References

Allan, Laura. “What Is Grief?” CPD Online College, 23 Feb. 2022,

cpdonline.co.uk/knowledge-base/mental-health/grief/.

American Psychological Association. “Grief.” Https://Www.apa.org, 2020,

www.apa.org/topics/grief.

Cleveland Clinic. “What Is Grief?” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, 22 Feb. 2023,

my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24787-grief.

Ernstmeyer, Kimberly, and Elizabeth Christman. “Grief and Loss.” National Library of

Medicine, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2021, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK591827/.

Morrow, Angela. “Differences between Normal and Complicated Grief.” Verywell Health,

Verywell Health, 2 Apr. 2023, www.verywellhealth.com/grief-and-mourning-process-1132545.