Not only when a loved one passes away, we experience grief. We may experience grief when a relationship ends, losing a job, or even the loss of an opportunity. In fact, any significant loss in life can precipitate grief. It doesn’t matter what is the source of the grief; it impacts everyone differently. Therefore, it is important to know and understand the various grief and the reasons people experience them; It is crucial if you want to be supportive during trying times.
What are the five stages of grief
Kübler-Ross’ model of grief prosits that we journey through 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. We often use this framework as a guiding light to navigate the grieving process. But we ought not to confuse the stages of grief with the types grief. In this article, we intend to present the various types of grief, so we can recognize them in ourself and others.
Are there different types of grief?
Grief is a complex emotion that changes over time. It can present in many different forms, and quite often, a person may experience more than one form. We will discuss 7 types of grief, but there are a more. However, for the sake of this post we will discuss the 6 most common types of grief.
Here are 7 Types of grief we experience:
1. Normal Grief
Most people who experience loss go through normal grief, which is the most common type of grief. Although grief is a normal response to loss, there is truly no such thing as “normal grief”, since it is a unique experience for everyone. A variety of emotions such as sadness, anger, guilt, and worry characterizes this type of grief. There is no specific time frame to go through normal grief. In fact, normal grief can last anywhere from a few months to several years, depending on the individual and their circumstances.
2. Anticipatory Grief
Anticipatory grief is another type of grief that people experience before a loss actually occurs. When a loved one is given the prognosis of a terminal illness or when a relationship is about to end, people frequently experience anticipatory grief. A spectrum of feelings, including fear, anxiety, and sadness, define anticipatory grief. The duration of Anticipatory grief is from a few months to several years, depending on the individual.
3. Complicated Grief
Another type of grief is complicated grief. It is a more severe and prolonged form of normal grief. It is characterized by a set of symptoms that are more severe than those of normal grief. Complicated grief can disrupt your day-to-day functioning and prolong feelings sadness, rage, and guilt, to name a few. There are many factors, such as a sudden loss, the circumstances of the loss, and the relationship between the griever and the object lost, that can contribute to complicated grief. If untreated, complicated grief can persist for several years.
4. Disenfranchised Grief
Disenfranchised grief is another type of grief. This is the type of grief that is not legitimized by society or the griever’s loved ones. It occurs when someone experiences a loss others do not deem serious, such as suicide, drug overdose, or even the loss of a pet. With disenfranchised grief, the bereaved often can not grieve freely; which can hinder the grieving process and lead to depression and loneliness. The duration of disenfranchised grief can vary from person to person, but it can be longer if the griever is not able to express their feelings openly.
5. Collective Grief
Collective grief is another type of grief. It occurs when a group of people (a community, society, village, or nation) experience an extreme change or loss. Collective grief can manifest in the wake of major events such as natural disasters, war, pandemics, mass shootings, or other forms of widespread crisis. The death of princess Dianna triggered collective grief. Another example of collective grief is the Covid-19 pandemic. Collective grief can feel overwhelming and like the other types of grief there is no specific duration for collective grief. The healing process for collective grief doesn’t always look the same as for every individual.
6. Abbreviated Grief
Another type of grief is Abbreviated grief. Abbreviated grief, in contrast to complicated grief, subsides quickly. This could be as a result of a person finding a diversion, such as remarrying soon after losing a spouse, finding another job, or as a result of anticipatory grief experienced before the loss occurred.
Cumulative Grief
Another type of grief is Cumulative grief. Cumulative grief can occur if an individual experiences multiple losses during a short period. Cumulative grief can be extremely difficult to process as it can be overwhelming and heartbreaking to work through multiple losses over a short timeframe. Cumulative grief can manifest in different ways depending on the individual. Some symptoms of cumulative grief may include, but aren’t limited to, feeling overwhelmed by the losses experienced, feeling numb, avoiding processing the losses because it feels overwhelming. Cumulative grief differs from person to person, just like all other types of grief do, because everyone deals with loss in their own unique way.
Coping with Grief
There are healthy and unhealthy ways to cope with grief. Some healthy coping strategies include focusing on talking to close friends and family about your thoughts and feelings, engaging in physical and mental activities and practising self care. Some unhealthy coping mechanism we should avoid are substance abuse, avoidance and isolating oneself from friends and family. It is important to avoid unhealthy coping pracices and reinforce healthy copy strategies as you move through the grieving process.
