Home / Grief and bereavement information / How many types of grief are there and what do they mean
Grief is a natural reaction to loss. It’s individual and unique to the bereaved person, their circumstances and relationship with the deceased person. It comes in different forms and its effects differ from person to person.
This is the complete list of the different types of grief. Scroll down for more information and examples.
As the name suggests, abbreviated grief is a type of grief which doesn’t last as long as expected. That could happen in the cases of death after a terminal illness or be the result of insufficient attachment to the deceased person.
Absent grief is when people don’t show any signs of grief, particularly in the early stages of bereavement when there’s shock, disbelief and/or numbness. In the case of absent grief, people appear to be unaffected by their loss.
In some cases, grief happens in anticipation of the death rather than after its occurrence. That type of grief is known as anticipatory grief. It’s often experienced by the loved ones as well as the dying person.
Although the symptoms and intensity of grief decrease with time, occasionally there are exceptions. In those instances, the bereaved person doesn’t show any signs of improvement. That type of grief is referred to as chronic grief.
Collective grief refers to a loss which is experienced by a group of people together. That loss can be the death of a celebrity or an important figure in a particular community such as a politician or a leader. It could also be a substantial loss in the event of a natural disaster, natural tragedy, war conflict etc.
When grief is persistent for a prolonged period of time and begins to interfere with day-to-day life preventing the bereaved person from completing different tasks, that could be a sign of complicated grief. They may feel intense sorrow and pain, inability to think about anything else but their loss, longing for the deceased person, numbness, detachment, isolation.
If left untreated, complicated grief can have a negative effect on the mental and physical health of the bereaved person. If you recognise these symptoms, please seek help from a qualified professional.
As we go through life, we are likely to face more than one death. Cumulative grief emerges when these losses occur in short periods of time between one another and we are left to deal with multiple deaths in a quick succession.
Delayed grief is when there is a significant gap between the initial loss and the bereaved person’s reaction to it. That can be due to individual circumstances and/or other responsibilities. Some bereaved people feel the need to be “strong” for others or suppress their grief.
A bereaved person can experience disenfranchised grief when the death of their loved one or the person whose death they mourn is not acknowledged. That could be due to stigma or the result of unrecognised grief such as the death of an ex spouse or partner.
Grief is a natural reaction to loss which is expressed in different ways by different people. Distorted grief is characterised by extreme reactions and behavioural changes. That type of grief is often accompanied by guilt, anger, hostility towards oneself or others, self-destructive and other behavioural changes.
Exaggerated grief is characterised by intensified reactions to the loss which become worse over time. In those cases, the bereaved person is likely to indulge in self-destructive behaviour and activities such as substance abuse. They can also exhibit suicidal thoughts, irrational fears and/or nightmares.
In the cases of uninhibited grief, the bereaved person doesn’t show a reaction to their loss. They may be reluctant to do so either because they find it inappropriate or because they were brought up to show little to no emotion.
Inhibited grief is likely to make itself known in the form of physical signs and symptoms. Often via various aches and pains such as migraines, stomach upsets etc. If left untreated, it can have an affect on the mental health of the bereaved person.
Bereaved people who suffer masked grief are unable to recognise out-of-character symptoms and behaviours as reactions to their loss. Instead, they “mask” them as physical symptoms and/or maladaptive behaviour.
Grief is a normal, natural and necessary response to a major loss such as the death of a loved one. Although individual reactions are unique and circumstantial, bereaved people are likely to experience changes in their behaviour as well as some physical and emotional symptoms such as shock, confusion, crying, sadness, fatigue, difficulties concentrating, disturbed sleep etc. This is normal grief and in time, these symptoms weaken enabling the bereaved person to function normally.
Which types of grief have you experienced?
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