Dealing with Illness and Grief
Describes how people deal with serious illness in themselves and others (including children):
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Dealing with Illness and Grief

Anticipatory Grief

Anticipatory grief is mourning that happens when someone is expecting their own or anothers death. This common feeling has similar symptoms to those that will usually be experienced after a death.

Feelings include depression, extreme concern for the patient and preparation for the death. This anticipation of death provides an opportunity for people to attain aceptance of what will be and so deal with 'tying up the loose ends' - saying farewells and telling those close "I love you".

Although anticipatory grief provides opportunities to plan and prepare for death it may not neccesarily help the grieving process that follows death.

The mesothelioma patient may also experience greater grief in the knowledge of their approaching demise and may emotionally retreat and become more detached from their loved ones.

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