Complicated Grief
Complicated (or unresolved) grief encompasses a huge range of problems such as disturbed emotions and behavior, an anxious mood and major depression.
People who suffer complicated grief can display a complete lack of grief and mourning, an inability to feel normal grief reactions, delayed grief, conflicted grief or chronic grief.
Suicidal thoughts and substance abuse (to avoid painful feelings) may be common and some may even have post-traumatic stress disorder (manifested by avoiding reminders of the deceased, constantly thinking about the deceased, becoming scared/paniced with reminders of the deceased).
What separates complicated grief from 'normal' grief is that the foregoing symptoms are experienced for a greater period of time, are more intense and have a greater debilitating effect that would usually be expected.
Causes are variable but generally involve suddenness of the death, gender of the grieving and/or relationship to the deceased.
In keeping with its classification Complicated Grief requires more complex therapies than might be needed in 'normal' grief reactions (for example, drug and psychological therapy).
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