Bereavement and Grief

Grief can be defined as a type of stress reaction, a highly personal and subjective set of responses that an individual makes to a real, perceived, or anticipated loss. Grief reactions may occur in any loss situation, whether the loss is physical or tangible, such as a death, significant injury, or loss of property, or symbolic and intangible, such as the loss of a dream. The intensity of grief will vary depending on many variables, such as the meaning of a given loss to the individual experiencing it. It should be recognized that loss does not inevitably create grief. Some individuals may be so disassociated from the loss object that they experience little or no grief or their response is characterized by intense denial.

This definition ...