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Complicated Grief

Grief is a natural reaction to a loss of someone or something. Grief is especially difficult when the loss is a loved one through death. The effects of grief are individual and does not have a time line. Most people recover from grief without the need for mental health services. However, when grief is prolonged and interferes with your functioning contacting a mental health professional for help can be beneficial. Contact a mental health professional if at least one of the following has been present for six months or more after the loss and cause substantial distress or impact functioning:

Intense and persistent yearning for the deceased
Frequent preoccupation with the deceased
Intense feelings of emptiness or loneliness
Recurrent thoughts that life is meaningless or unfair without the deceased
A frequent urge to join the deceased in death
Feeling shocked, stunned or numb since a loved one’s death
Feelings of disbelief or inability to accept the loss
Rumination about the circumstances or consequences of the death
Anger or bitterness about the death
Experiencing pain that the deceased suffered, or hearing/seeing the deceased
Trouble trusting or caring about others
Intense reactions to memories or reminders of the deceased
Avoidance of reminders of the deceased, or the opposite - seeking out reminders to feel close to the deceased

Persistent complex grief can be managed by a psychiatric professional that conducts a thorough assessment and screening. Effective treatment is available through therapy and/or medication. If you have some of the above symptoms make an appointment for a thorough evaluation.