1014-Secrets of Overcoming Complicated Grief _ Counselor Education

Counselor Toolbox Podcast with DocSnipes

Introduction

Understanding Grief and Loss

• Definitions
• Types of Losses

Complicated Grief and Prolonged Grief Disorder

• Complicated Grief:
• Grief that does not follow a typical pattern and remains unresolved, leading to significant distress and impairment.
• The Inventory of Complicated Grief can be used six months after a loss to assess if grief is resolving as expected.
• Prolonged Grief Disorder:
• Newly added to the DSM-5-TR, applies specifically to grief following the death of a close person.
• Symptoms overlap with complicated grief but are strictly related to the death of a person.

Risk Factors for Complicated Mourning

• Survivor Characteristics:
• Age: Younger individuals may struggle more due to egocentric thinking and difficulty understanding the big picture.
• Physical and Mental Health: Chronic pain, mental health issues, and physical reminders of the loss can complicate grief.
• Cognitive Understanding: A person’s ability to comprehend the loss and its implications.
• Personality and Character Traits: Traits like abandonment anxiety, insecure attachment, or codependency can complicate mourning.
• Socioeconomic Status: Financial stress can exacerbate grief.
• Spiritual Factors: Beliefs about life after death and the meaning of loss.
• Nature of the Loss:
• Trauma: Losses that are traumatic, unexpected, or involve multiple losses can complicate mourning.
• Circumstances: The context of the loss, such as a sudden or violent death, impacts grief.
• Resources: The availability of support immediately after the loss can influence the grief process.
• Relationship with the Lost Person: The depth and quality of the relationship, as well as the role the person played in the survivor’s life.

Tasks for Grief Resolution

• Acknowledge the Reality of the Loss: Accept that the loss has occurred and its implications.
• Manage Emotional Responses: Engage with the pain of the loss while being supported physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
• Redefine the Relationship with the Lost Person or Thing: Shift from a present-focused relationship to one of memory.
• Develop a New Self-Identity: Adapt to life without the lost person or thing.
• Find Meaning in the Loss: Explore the purpose and significance of the loss in the survivor's life.
• Experience Continued Support: Maintain supportive connections with others.

Models of Grieving

• Wolfelt’s Six Reconciliation Tasks:

1. Acknowledge the reality of the loss.
2. Move toward the pain of the loss while being nurtured.
3. Convert the relationship with the lost entity to one of memory.
4. Develop a new self-identity without the lost entity.
5. Find meaning in the loss.
6. Experience a continued supportive presence.

• Rando’s Three Phases of Grieving:
• Avoidance: Recognizing the loss and developing an understanding of what happened.
• Confrontation: Experiencing and expressing the pain of the loss.
• Accommodation: Readjusting to a new life without the lost entity, while maintaining memories.

Impact of Grief

• Physical: Sleep disturbances, fatigue, changes in appetite, and increased vulnerability to illness.
• Interpersonal: Withdrawal, isolation, irritability, and changes in relationships.
• Cognitive: Difficulty concentrating, short-term memory loss, and obsessive thoughts.
• Environmental: Changes in living situations or routines.
• Spiritual: Challenges to beliefs and the search for meaning.

Conclusion

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Complicated Grief

00:07:15 - Various Losses and Grief

00:14:22 - Factors that Impact Complicated Mourning

00:21:34 - Grieving the Empty Nest

00:28:13 - Dealing with the Loss of a Pet

00:35:23 - Physical and Interpersonal Symptoms of Grief

00:42:19 - Dealing with Other People's Reactions to Loss

00:48:59 - Coping Strategies for Grief

00:55:58 - Grief Processes and Support

01:02:52 - Understanding the Nature of Sudden Death

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