week 4 Flashcards
defining complicated grief
also known as
-abnormal grief, pathological grief, unresolved grief, chronic grief, delayed grief, exaggerated grief, complicated bereavement, exaggerated mourning, masked mourning
-intensification of grief to the level where the person is overwhelmed, reports maladaptive behavior and remains in the state of grief without resolution
- *-2 main components:
- duration
- intensity
4 categories of complicated grief
- chronic grief
- delayed grief
- exaggerated grief
- masked grief
- chronic grief
- excessive in duration and never comes to a satisfactory conclusion
- person feels stuck in grief but unwilling to change their position
- participate in grief rituals
- delayed grief
- inhibited, suppressed or postponed grief reaction
- person may have had somewhat of an emotional reaction at the time of the loss but it wasn’t sufficient enough for the loss
- later in life, the person will overreact to a less significant loss
- exaggerated grief
- -extreme intensification of normal grief that often results in maladaptive behavior
- can lead to a variety of mental health disorders, phobias, drug and alcohol dependencies
- masked grief
- people experience symptoms and behaviors which cause them difficulty but they do not link it to a loss
- people don’t allow themselves to grieve properly
- individual suffers from non affective symptoms
when complicated grief can be diagnosed?
- dSM-V info
- hallmark is the symptoms must be seen for 6 consecutive months, however there is usually not an official diagnosis until 1 year after death
- treated with grief therapy
handling complicated mourning
- typically either self-diagnosed or under treatment for a psychological disorder that it is found rooted in complicated grief
- lazare’s 12 clues for unresolved grief reaction
lazare’s 12 clues for unresolved grief reactions
- cannot speak of deceased without intense grief
- minor events trigger intense grief reaction
- themes of loss come up in clinical interview
- unwilling to move material possessions belonging to the deceased
- development of physical symptoms similar to those of the deceased before death
- radical lifestyle changes
- long history of subclinical depression with guilt and low self esteem
- imitating the deceased
- self destructive impulses
- unaccountable sadness at a certain time each year
- phobia about illness or death as related to the deceased
- circumstances surrounding the death
factors affecting complicated grief reactions
- similiar to the mediators of mourning-
- relational
- circumstantial
- historical
- social
-Factors affecting complicated grief reactions- —relational factors
- highly ambivalent relationship
- narcissistic relationships
- -NPD (narcissistic personality disorder)
- -symptoms (9)
- extremely smart but no self esteem
- occurs more often in men than women
NPD (narcissistic personality disorder)
- symptoms (9)
- have to have 5 out of 9
- grand sense of self importance
- preoccupation about beauty, brilliance and success
- need for excessive admiration
- sense of entitlement
- status renders only to associate with other of similar status
- extreme lack of empathy
- believe others envy you
- arrogance and attitude and behavior
- exploiting others to achieve your own personal goals
- Factors affecting complicated grief reactions-
- circumstantial factors
- loss surrounded by uncertainity
- -may not know if dead or alive - experiencing multiple losses lead to bereavement overload
- common disorder pertaining to this factor is PTSD
- Factors affecting complicated grief reactions-
- historical factors
-how grief was processed in the past determined how future losses are grieved
- Factors affecting complicated grief reactions-
- personality factors
-examine personality type and coping skills
