Loss, Grief, and Bereavement (cont.)
What are the effects of losing a loved one?
The potential negative effects of a grief reaction can be significant. For
example, research shows that about 40% of bereaved people will suffer
from some form of anxiety disorder in the first year after the death of a loved
one, and there can be an up to 70% increase in death of the surviving
spouse within the first six months after the death of his or her partner. For these reasons, questionnaires that assess how much stress a person is
experiencing usually places the loss of a loved one at the top of the list of
the most serious stresses to endure. When considering the death of a loved one,
the effects of losing a pet should not be minimized. Pets are often considered
another member of the family, and therefore their loss is grieved as well.
Making the decision to euthanize (painlessly put to death) the family pet once a
family works with their veterinarian to determine that the pet is suffering as a
result of their age, specific illness, and/or general declining health can add
stress to the bereavement process by leaving family members feeling guilty
initially, but if done properly, can help families understand that they spared
their beloved pet unnecessary suffering.
In addition to grief as an initial reaction to loss, the process can be
aggravated by events that remind the bereaved individual of their loved one or
the circumstances surrounding their loss. Such events are often referred to as
grief triggers. Father's Day or the beginning of the school year may cause the
parent who has lost a child to feel distraught. A shared song, television show,
or activity can remind the widower of the wife he lost. Watching another child
play with a pet may reduce a child whose pet has died to tears.
What are the causes and risk factors of complicated grief?
The risk factors for experiencing more serious symptoms of grief for a longer
period of time can be related to the survivor's own physical and emotional
health before the loss, the relationship between the bereaved and their family
member or other loved one, as well as related to the nature of the death. For
example, it is not uncommon for surviving loved ones who had a contentious or
strained relationship with the deceased to suffer severe feelings of grief.
Parents who have lost their child are at higher risk of divorce. They are also
at increased risk for a decline in emotional health including being
psychiatrically hospitalized following the loss. This is a particular risk for
mothers who have lost a child.
Bereaved individuals who either feel the death of their loved one is
unexpected or violent may be at greater risk for suffering from major
depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or complicated grief. Major depression is a psychiatric disorder
characterized by depression and/or irritability that last at least two weeks in
a row and is accompanied by a number of other symptoms, like problems with
sleep, appetite, weight, concentration, or energy level and may also lead to the
sufferer experiencing unjustified guilt, losing interest in activities he or she
used to enjoy, or thoughts of wanting to kill themselves or someone else. PTSD
refers to a condition that involves the sufferer enduring an experience that
significantly threatened their sense of safety or well being (for example, the suicide
or homicide of a loved one), then re-experiencing the event through nightmares
or flashbacks (feeling as if the trauma is happening again at times when the
sufferer is awake), developing a hypersensitivity to events that are normal
(for example, being quite irritable, getting startled very easily, having trouble
sleeping, or difficulty trusting others), and avoiding things that remind the
person of the traumatic event (for example, people, places, or things that the
sufferer may associate with the death of their loved one). Being able to care
for a dying loved one tends to promote the healing process for those who are
left behind. That care can either be provided at home, in the
hospital, or in hospice care. Hospice is a program or facility that provides
special care for people whose health has declined to the point that they are
near the end of their life. Such programs or facilities also provide special
care for their families.
Next: What are the signs, symptoms, and stages of grief? »
- Autopsy - Read about autospy and the situations in which one is mandatory or may be ordered upon death. Results of an autospy may be fairly quick, but if toxicology reports are necessary it may take weeks for the results.
- Anxiety - Read about anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder, GAD) causes, physical symptoms and signs, medications and treatment. Learn about symptoms (worry, fear) and other types of anxiety disorders.
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - Read about posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms (nightmares, flashbacks), causes (war, traumatic events), effects (depression, suicide) and treatment (medication, therapy).
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