Grief, Complicated

Simple grief or normal bereavement includes such symptoms as shock, sadness, anger, guilt, anxiety, regrets, intrusive thoughts or images of the deceased or the death, yearning for the deceased, fear, depersonalization, feeling overwhelmed, and loneliness. Its intensity, course, and duration are highly variable. Initially after a death, such symptoms may seem ever-present or may occur intermittently. Painful feelings and memories may intermingle with positive ones. For most people, although progress may be uneven and difficult, symptoms gradually subside. When grief has disrupted normal activities and relationships, adaptive grief is characterized by the return over time of the capacity to engage in meaningful relationships and activities. Most people improve with the support of friends and family and/or with the help of bereavement-related support groups. Progress is ...