BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuGriefMourning; Grieving; BereavementGrief is a reaction to a major loss of someone or something. It is most often an unhappy and painful emotion. Causes Grief may be triggered by the death of a loved one. People also can experience grief if they have an illness for which there is no cure, or a chronic condition that affects their quality of life. The end of a significant relationship may also cause grieving.Everyone feels grief in their own way. But there are common stages to the process of mourning. It starts with recognizing a loss and continues until a person eventually accepts that loss. People's responses to grief will be different, depending on the circumstances of the death. For example, if the person who died had a chronic illness, the death may have been expected. The end of the person's suffering might even have come as a relief. If the death was accidental or violent, coming to a stage of acceptance might take longer.ChronicChronic refers to something that continues over an extended period of time. A chronic condition is usually long-lasting and does not easily or quick...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms One way to describe grief is in five stages. These reactions might not occur in a specific order, and can occur together. Not everyone experiences all of these emotions:Denial, disbelief, numbness Anger, blaming others Bargaining (for instance, "If I am cured of this cancer, I will never smoke again.") Depressed mood, sadness, and crying Acceptance, coming to termsPeople who are grieving may have crying spells, trouble sleeping, and lack of productivity at work. Exams and Tests Your health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms, including your sleep and appetite. Symptoms that last for a while may lead to clinical depression.DepressionDepression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for shor...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment Family and friends can offer emotional support during the grieving process. Sometimes, outside factors can affect the normal grieving process, and people might need help from:Clergy Mental health specialists Social workers Support groupsThe acute phase of grief often lasts up to 2 months. Milder symptoms may last for a year or longer. Psychological counseling may help a person who is unable to face the loss (absent grief reaction), or who has depression with grieving. Support Groups Joining a support group where members share common experiences and problems and help relieve the stress from grieving especially if you have lost a child or spouse.StressStress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stres...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Lost a childThe following organizations are good resources for information on the loss of a child:Bereaved Parents of the USA -- www. bereavedparentsusa. orgHelp...Read Article Now Book Mark Article SpouseThe following organizations provide information on the loss of a spouse or significant other:GoodTherapy. org -- www. goodtherapy. org/learn-about-th...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) It may take a year or longer to overcome strong feelings of grief and to accept the loss. Possible Complications Complications that may result from ongoing grief include:Drug or alcohol use Depression When to Contact a Medical Professional Call your provider if:You can't deal with grief You are using excessive amounts of drugs or alcohol You become very depressed You have long-term depression that interferes with your daily life You have suicidal thoughts Prevention Grief should not be prevented because it is a healthy response to loss. Instead, it should be respected. Those who are grieving should have support to help them through the process.Open ReferencesReferencesAmerican Psychiatric Association website. Trauma- and stressor-related disorders. In: American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. 2013:265-290.Powell AD. Grief, bereavement, and adjustment disorders. In: Stern TA, Fava M, Wilens TE, Rosenbaum JF, eds. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 38.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Tips for survivors: coping with grief after a disaster or traumatic event. HHS Publication No. SMA-17-5035 (2017). store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma17-5035.pdf. Accessed June 24, 2020.AllVideoImagesTogSelf Care Children and griefRelated Information Chronic(Special Topic)Major depression(Condition)Depression(In-Depth) Review Date: 5/10/2020 Reviewed By: Fred K. Berger, MD, addiction and forensic psychiatrist, Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. 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GriefMourning; Grieving; BereavementGrief is a reaction to a major loss of someone or something. It is most often an unhappy and painful emotion. Causes Grief may be triggered by the death of a loved one. People also can experience grief if they have an illness for which there is no cure, or a chronic condition that affects their quality of life. The end of a significant relationship may also cause grieving.Everyone feels grief in their own way. But there are common stages to the process of mourning. It starts with recognizing a loss and continues until a person eventually accepts that loss. People's responses to grief will be different, depending on the circumstances of the death. For example, if the person who died had a chronic illness, the death may have been expected. The end of the person's suffering might even have come as a relief. If the death was accidental or violent, coming to a stage of acceptance might take longer.ChronicChronic refers to something that continues over an extended period of time. A chronic condition is usually long-lasting and does not easily or quick...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms One way to describe grief is in five stages. These reactions might not occur in a specific order, and can occur together. Not everyone experiences all of these emotions:Denial, disbelief, numbness Anger, blaming others Bargaining (for instance, "If I am cured of this cancer, I will never smoke again.") Depressed mood, sadness, and crying Acceptance, coming to termsPeople who are grieving may have crying spells, trouble sleeping, and lack of productivity at work. Exams and Tests Your health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms, including your sleep and appetite. Symptoms that last for a while may lead to clinical depression.DepressionDepression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for shor...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment Family and friends can offer emotional support during the grieving process. Sometimes, outside factors can affect the normal grieving process, and people might need help from:Clergy Mental health specialists Social workers Support groupsThe acute phase of grief often lasts up to 2 months. Milder symptoms may last for a year or longer. Psychological counseling may help a person who is unable to face the loss (absent grief reaction), or who has depression with grieving. Support Groups Joining a support group where members share common experiences and problems and help relieve the stress from grieving especially if you have lost a child or spouse.StressStress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stres...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Lost a childThe following organizations are good resources for information on the loss of a child:Bereaved Parents of the USA -- www. bereavedparentsusa. orgHelp...Read Article Now Book Mark Article SpouseThe following organizations provide information on the loss of a spouse or significant other:GoodTherapy. org -- www. goodtherapy. org/learn-about-th...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) It may take a year or longer to overcome strong feelings of grief and to accept the loss. Possible Complications Complications that may result from ongoing grief include:Drug or alcohol use Depression When to Contact a Medical Professional Call your provider if:You can't deal with grief You are using excessive amounts of drugs or alcohol You become very depressed You have long-term depression that interferes with your daily life You have suicidal thoughts Prevention Grief should not be prevented because it is a healthy response to loss. Instead, it should be respected. Those who are grieving should have support to help them through the process.Open ReferencesReferencesAmerican Psychiatric Association website. Trauma- and stressor-related disorders. In: American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. 2013:265-290.Powell AD. Grief, bereavement, and adjustment disorders. In: Stern TA, Fava M, Wilens TE, Rosenbaum JF, eds. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 38.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Tips for survivors: coping with grief after a disaster or traumatic event. HHS Publication No. SMA-17-5035 (2017). store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma17-5035.pdf. Accessed June 24, 2020.
