Lesson 1: Understanding Death and Dying- an Introduction

Question 1

Bereavement

Answer 1

FACT not feeling, you are bereaved or you are not, once you are you always are, has to be a relationship or something (real or perceived) that you would grieve, can be a result of any loss, ex. dog, house, marriage, etc. bond has been broken

Question 2

Grief

Answer 2

the EMOTIONAL response to the objective fact of loss, usually a negative emotion but can be anything (relief, guilt, sadness, happiness), unique to the individual

Question 3

Normal Grief

Answer 3

stays within culturally prescribed traditions, without interruption, delay, or judgement

Question 4

Traumatic Grief

Answer 4

severe, debilitating, response to a sudden, unexpected, or possibly violent death

Question 5

Disenfranchised Grief

Answer 5

situation where bereaved is not allowed to grieve as they would like, ex. spouses, health care workers, extramarital affairs, those seen as not having the right to grieve

Question 6

Grief work

Answer 6

Grief must be worked through, could be family picking out clothes or pictures of a loved one, helps with facing the reality of the death

Question 7

Mourning

Answer 7

the external expression of the emotional response of the fact of loss, our actions of our response to the feelings of grief, the rituals we participate in to commemorate life and loss, the funeral and rituals (ex. placing a flower, wearing black, filling in grave), mourning expression that helps the brain accept the loss, allowing family the opportunity for mourning actions or expressions.

Question 8

Fatalism

Answer 8

the attitude about death that there is nothing to think about and when your number is up it’s up, contributes to avoidable deaths because lifestyle and protective measures are not considered.

Question 9

Death Anxiety

Answer 9

emotional distress, insecurity, tension, apprehensiveness

Question 10

Denial

Answer 10

A response that rejects certain key features of reality in an attempt to avoid or reduce anxiety

Question 11

Acceptance

Answer 11

coming to terms with death and easing anxiety (different from resignation or depression)

Question 12

Attitudes

Answer 12

our action tendencies

Question 13

Beliefs

Answer 13

our worldview

Question 14

Gender differences in death anxiety

Answer 14

women tend to have higher death anxiety scores on self reporting scales

Question 15

How much do we fear death?

Answer 15

self report studies find low to moderate death anxiety levels

Question 16

age differences in death anxiety

Answer 16

high death related anxiety in adolescence and early adulthood, then roses again in middle age, decline to a new low for people in their 70s

Question 17

Deception

Answer 17

deliberately giving false information to others

Question 18

Resistance

Answer 18

individual comprehends reality of situation but chooses to fight for life as long as possible

Question 19

Denial

Answer 19

primitive defense mechanism that totally rejects the existence of threat or death laden reality

Question 20

Selective Attention

Answer 20

redirecting attention to whatever seems most salient in immediate situation

Question 21

Selective Response

Answer 21

individual feels it is not the time or place to discuss death, or person may be working hard to complete tasks with full awareness that time is running out

Question 22

Compartmentalizing

Answer 22

much of death and dying reality is accepted but person stops just short of realizing the situation by putting all information together

Question 23

Influence of movies and TV on death

Answer 23

often sensational and violent deaths, males 6 times more likely to instigate death, females twice as likely to be victims, are gory details another maneuver to avoid emotional confrontation with death, death depersonalized by media

Question 24

Traditional determinants of death

Answer 24

lack of respiration, pulse, heartbeat, failure to respond to stimuli, lowered body temp and stiffness, later bloating and signs of decomp

Question 25

Harvard Death Criteria

Answer 25

unreceptive and unresponsive to any external or internal stimuli, no movement or breathing, no reflexes, flat EEG, no circulation to or within the brain

Question 26

Enfeebled Life

Answer 26

transformed into a repulsive, pitiable creature, decremental model of misery

Question 27

Continuation

Answer 27

transition to more of the same existence

Question 28

Perpetual Development

Answer 28

transition to freer mode of existence where continued spiritual and evolutionary growth continues

Question 29

Waiting

Answer 29

tension between death and an end state, waiting for judgement, in limbo or suspension

Question 30

Cycling and Recycling

Answer 30

death is one position on a constantly turning wheel

Question 31

Nothing

Answer 31

dying and death can be observed but death is the absence of life, process, or quality

Question 32

Virtual, Therefore Not Death

Answer 32

death is something without dimension or place, similar to imaginary virtual computer worlds

Question 33

Personification of Death

Answer 33

helps societies to cope with death by objectifying an abstract concept, expressing difficult to articulate feelings, serving as a coin of communication, absorbing some shock, pain, anger and fear experienced during traumatic times, providing symbols that can be reshaped during emotional healing and cognitive integration

Question 34

Social Death

Answer 34

must be defined in context or by situation, based on how a person is treated by others, person is ignored, discounted, and excluded

Question 35

The Macabre

Answer 35

ugly, menacing, vicious, repulsive character

Question 36

The Gentle Comforter

Answer 36

serene and welcoming

Question 37

The Gay Deceiver

Answer 37

elegant, sexy, alluring, tempting, then traps you

Question 38

The Automaton

Answer 38

bland, shell of a person, goes about business

Question 39

Death Unites/Separates

Answer 39

unites us with those who have already died, separates us from the living

Question 40

Ultimate Problem or Solution?

Answer 40

ends opportunities to achieve, closes down inner experiences, consciousness, and awareness, takes away all life related problems, death of others can remove problems ex. criminals

Question 41

The Great Leveler

Answer 41

Death makes no distinction between people, ignores race, gender, age, IQ, finances, religion, personal power

Question 42

The Great Validator

Answer 42

a persons worth in life can be reflected in the level of mourning and size of funeral or memorial

Question 43

Twisted Death

Answer 43

Death became more intertwined with violence and sexuality

Question 44

Terror Management Theory

Answer 44

increase self esteem to decrease death anxiety, feeling strong personally in a strong society religious belief and practice

Question 45

Freudian Position

Answer 45

castration/death anxiety, feeling less of a person, fear of losing love, value and security in death

Question 46

Problems of telling a child death is a long sleep

Answer 46

children may not be able to distinguish death from sleep, may cause difficulty falling asleep, insomnia, nightmares

Question 47

The New Testament

Answer 47

lust, sexual feelings, thoughts and activities are ultimately associated with death, sexuality is sinful and carries the death penalty, the deathification of sex and sexification of death, made sexual union between humans less spiritual and worthy

Question 48

Symbolic Construction

Answer 48

the perspective that death is subject to question, challenge, and revision like any other concept

Question 49

when did large expensive funerals enter American life?

Answer 49

the colonial days

Question 50

Thanatophobia

Answer 50

the fear of death