Grief is a natural process that most people will experience.
What Is Prolonged Grief?
It can also start to look like major depression, generalized anxiety, and post-traumatic stress.
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Prigerson said that estimates for prolonged grief disorder are much lower, though.
This contrasts with depression and other disorders in various ways.
Defining Grief
It can be difficult to imagine grief as measurable.
Grief and the practices around it, or mourning, vary by culture.
Outside the mainstream American psychiatric space, it may also be helpful to open up the concept of grief.
For some, she said, it can look like relief.
For others, guilt or anger.
Its just more complicated.
I dont know that one sentence can express everyones experience, she said.
To ignore these findings is to ignore the adverse effects of this condition on both mental and physical health.
When they followed up with the clinicians, they also found that 95% found it overall clinically useful.
At the same time, they are sufficiently sensitive to capture those in need, the authors wrote.
But grief is near-universal, and possibly more commonly shared since COVID-19 began.
Some call it the grief pandemic.
Epstein added that grief groups can offer a refuge for anyone dealing with grief.
So it can be helpful to transition someone into a post-loss space.
Groups may help to normalize and support whatever process theyre going through.
To Epstein, groups can offer what the separation and emptiness due to grief might exactly need: community.
It might not work, but its an effort nonetheless.
They should be able to review the criteria for prolonged grief with you and evaluate treatment options.
American Psychiatric Association.APA offers tips for understanding prolonged grief disorder.
2022;57(3).
doi:10.1176/appi.pn.2022.03.3.28
National Cancer Institute.Grief, bereavement, and coping with loss (PDQ)health professional version.
2018;17(3):364-365. doi:10.1002/wps.20544
