Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Although practitioners sometimes use paper and
pencil tests to determine if a person is suffering from grief, the assessment is
usually made by the health-care provider asking questions to assess what symptoms an
individual is suffering from, then considering whether he or she is suffering
from normal grief, complicated grief, or some other issue. Those questions tend
to explore whether there are emotional, physical, and/or social symptoms of
grief, and if so, how severe and how long the symptoms have been present. The
practitioner may also try to determine what stages of the grief process the
person has experienced and what stage currently dominates their feelings at the
time of the assessment.
How can people cope with grief?
There remains some controversy about how to best help people survive the loss
of a loved one. While many forms of support are available and do help certain
individuals, little scientific research has shown clear benefits for any
particular approach for grief reactions in general. That is thought to be because each approach to support is
so different that it is hard to scientifically compare one to another,
intervention procedures are not consistently reported in publications, and the
ways these interventions have been studied are flawed. Although there has been some concern that grief counseling for
uncomplicated grief sufferers works against bereavement recovery, there is
research to the contrary. One approach to treating grief is the dual process
model, which endorses the bereavement process as being the dynamic struggle
between the pain of the death of the loved one (loss-oriented) and recovery
(restoration-oriented). This model of treatment recommends that bereaved
individuals alternate between directly working on their loss (confrontation) and
taking a break from (avoidance) that process when appropriate. For couples who are grieving the occurrence of a miscarriage, brief professional counseling has been found to be helpful.
Quite valuable tips for journaling as an effective way of managing
bereavement rather than just stirring up painful feelings are provided by the
Center for Journal Therapy. While encouraging those who choose to write a
journal to apply no strict rules to the process, some of the ideas encouraged
include limiting the time journaling to 15 minutes per day or less to decrease
the likelihood of worsening grief, writing how one imagines his or her life will
be a year from the date of the loss, and clearly identifying feelings to allow
for easier tracking of the individual's grief process.
To help children and adolescents cope emotionally with the death of a friend
or family member, it is important to ensure they receive consistent caretaking
and frequent interaction with supportive adults. For children of school age and
older, appropriate participation in school, social, and extracurricular
activities is necessary to a successful resolution of grief. For adolescents,
maintaining positive relationships with peers becomes important in helping teens
figure out how to deal with grief. Depending on
the adolescent, they even may find interactions with peers and family more
helpful than formal sources of support like their school counselor.
All children and teens can benefit from being reassured that they did not cause
their loved one to die, and such reassurance can go a long way toward lessening
the developmentally appropriate tendency children and adolescents have for
blaming themselves and any angry feelings they may have harbored against their
lost loved one for the death.
Effective coping tips for grieving are nearly as different and numerous as
there are bereaved individuals. The bereaved individual's caring for him/herself
through continuing nutritious and regular eating habits, getting extra rest, and
communicating with surviving friends and families are some ways for grief
sufferers to ease the grief process. The use of supportive structure can also go a long way to helping the aggrieved individual come to terms with their loss. Anything from reciting comforting prayers or affirmations, to returning to established meal and bedtimes, can help grieving individuals regain a sense of normalcy in their lives. As death involves the loss of an imperfect relationship involving imperfect individuals, forgiveness of the faults of the lost loved one can go a long way toward healing for the bereaved. While the painful aspects of dealing with death are clear, bereavement sometimes also leads to enhanced personal development.
Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus, which infects humans when it comes in contact with a break in the skin or tissues such as those that line the vagina, anal area, mouth, or eyes.
Stress occurs when forces from the outside world impinge on the individual. Stress is a normal part of life. However, over-stress, can be harmful. There is now speculation, as well as some evidence, that points to the abnormal stress responses as being involved in causing various diseases or conditions.
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychiatric condition, can develop after any catastrophic life event. Symptoms include nightmares, flashbacks, sweating, rapid heart rate, detachment, amnesia, sleep problems, irritability, and exaggerated startle response. Treatment may involve psychotherapy, group support, and medication.
Suicide is the process of intentionally ending one's own life. Approximately 1 million people worldwide commit suicide each year, and 10 million to 20 million attempt suicide annually.
Huntington's disease is the result of degeneration of neurons in areas of the brain. Huntington's disease is an inherited disorder. Early symptoms include mood swings, apathy, depression, and anger uncharacteristic of the individual. Judgement, memory, and other cognitive functions may become impaired. Presymptomatic testing is available for individuals who have a family history of Huntington's disease. Treatment includes medication and therapy for symptoms.
A number of vital tasks carried out during sleep help maintain good health and enable people to function at their best. Sleep needs vary from individual to individual and change throughout your life. Not getting enough sleep can hurt memory performance, health, and your mood.
Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of difficulty falling asleep; waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep; waking up too early in the morning; or unrefreshing sleep. Secondary insomnia is the most common type of insomnia. Treatment for insomnia include lifestyle changes, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medication.
Fatigue can be described in various ways. Sometimes fatigue is described as feeling a lack of energy and motivation (both mental and physical). The causes of fatigue are generally related to a variety of conditions or diseases for example, anemia, mono, medications, sleep problems, cancer, anxiety, heart disease, drug abuse, and more. Treatment of fatigue is generally directed toward the condition or disease that is causing the fatigue.
Smoker's lung photo essay is a collection of pictures and microscopic slides of lung disease caused by cigarette smoking. Smoker's lung refers to the diseases and structural abnormalities in the lung caused by cigarette smoking.
Childhood depression can interfere with social activities, interests, schoolwork and family life. Symptoms and signs include anger, social withdrawal, vocal outbursts, fatigue, physical complaints, and thoughts of suicide. Treatment may involve psychotherapy and medication.
Advance directives are designed to outline a person's wishes and preferences in regard to medical treatments and interventions. Advance directives generally fall into three categories: living will, power of attorney, and health-care proxy.
A heart attack is a layperson's term for a sudden blockage of a coronary artery. This photo essay inlcudes graphics, pictures, and illustrations of diseased heart tissue and the mechanisms that lead to coronary artery disease, and possible heart attack.
Children's health is focused on the well-being of children from conception through adolescence. There are many aspects of children's health, including growth and development, illnesses, injuries, behavior, mental illness, family health and community health.
Teenagers recognize that they are developmentally between child and adult. Teen health prevention includes maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, preventing injuries and screening annually for potential health conditions that could adversely affect teenage health.
Most often, caregivers take care of other adults who are ill or disabled. Less often, caregivers are grandparents raising their grandchildren. The majority of caregivers are middle-aged women. Caregiving can be very stressful, so it's important to recognize when it's putting to much strain on you and to take steps to prevent/relieve stress.
Hospice is a service that offers support, resources, and assistance to terminally ill patients and their families. In such late stages of diseases, especially when there is "nothing left to do," hospice can offer help for patients and families. There are many aspects of a patient's well-being that can be addressed. Hospice can play a key role in managing physical symptoms of a disease (palliative care) and supporting patients and families emotionally and spiritually.
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