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Understanding Grief ›
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Understanding grief ›
- Truths about grief
- What grief looks and feels like
- Common challenges with grief
- Grieving before the loss
- Ideas for living with loss
- Grief triggers
- How long grief lasts
- How the loss affects families and others
- When life starts to get better
- Special dates
- Rituals, funerals, and memorials
- Do I need more help?
- Prolonged grief
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Grief, roles, and identity ›
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Grieving a Death ›
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Non-death Loss ›
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Prolonged grief
All grief can be intense, overwhelming, and isolating—especially when it is new. How we respond to loss is shaped by many things. These factors might include our life experiences, culture, family, personality, and access to support. Even though grief will be present throughout our lives, most people find and learn ways to live their lives in meaningful ways.
Many grieving people experience times of intense grief, when it’s hard to see value or purpose in life after loss. This is especially true when grief is new, but this intensity can also surface years later if deep grief is triggered. During these times, it may be very difficult to keep up with life and stay connected with others. It is natural for grief to ebb and flow, sometimes taking up more or less energy as we adjust and learn to navigate the ways our worlds change after loss.
For some people, the intensity and disruption of grief doesn’t change or get easier, even after a long time. When grief is persistently intense and very disruptive, a person may be experiencing a form of grief known as prolonged grief disorder (PGD). People with PGD may describe themselves as “stuck,” and they often have a lot of difficulty functioning in their everyday lives and activities. This can last for a long time.
PGD is considered a mental health condition, so it is best supported by trained professionals using evidence-based approaches. If you think you are experiencing PGD, it is important to discuss it with a qualified medical or mental health professional.
PGD is a form of grief that may include the following:
- Intense longing for the person who died
- Preoccupation with thoughts of the person who died or the events of the death
- Overall and significant disruption to day-to-day life, including relationships, work, interests, and health
- Strong attachment to reminders of the person who died or strong avoidance of all reminders
- Disbelief about or difficulty accepting the death
- A response that supersedes cultural norms
The following factors may increase the likelihood of prolonged grief, in combination with other aspects of a person’s life, such as overall health and resilience.
Relationship factors
- The person who died was your spouse or partner.
- The person who died was your child (of any age).
- The person who died was someone you were highly dependent on (e.g., when your spouse or partner was also your caregiver).
Circumstances of the death
- The death was violent (e.g., suicide, homicide, or accident).
- You found, saw, or identified the body of the person who died.
- There are issues related to how you were notified of the death.
Person-related factors
- You have little or no support from family or friends.
- You had difficult early-life relationships with parents, caregivers, or guardians.
- Your grief is unacknowledged or unsupported by your community or society.
All grief can be difficult and complex, and prolonged grief disorder is uncommon. Knowing the characteristics of PGD is an important first step toward understanding when grief may need more attention. A next step might be to find a licensed professional who can connect with you with a counsellor who has experience with grief.
See also:
- MyGrief.ca Module 28 - Prolonged grief
Significant loss is always deeply affecting. The grieving process involves the paradoxical work of learning from and living with grief in a way that re-establishes our connection to the person who died while also helping us to rebuild our lives without them physically present. Prolonged grief disorder presents when we can’t navigate grief in a way that supports this necessary growth and change.
Video Gallery
Resources
Prolonged grief, MyGrief.ca Module 28
Grief is a natural response to a loss. Grief, especially when new, can be intense, overwhelming, and even isolating. When grief prevents someone from functioning in their daily life over time, it is called “prolonged grief.” This module will help you recognize and understand more about prolonged gri ... Read more
Includes pages on what prolonged grief is, how it is diagnosed and what helps. Also offer a self-assessment tool for those grieving and articles, videos and podcasts on grief.
Nora McInerny discusses her experiences with grief and loss and how they do not leave you, even as time passes.
Article talks about STUG (sudden temporary upsurge of grief) and how this is a normal part of grief, even if it happens years after the loss occurred. Discusses ways to cope with STUG.
Prolonged grief, MyGrief.ca Module 28
Grief is a natural response to a loss. Grief, especially when new, can be intense, overwhelming, and even isolating. When grief prevents someone from functioning in their daily life over time, it is called “prolonged grief.” This module will help you recognize and understand more about prolonged gri ... Read more
Article talks about STUG (sudden temporary upsurge of grief) and how this is a normal part of grief, even if it happens years after the loss occurred. Discusses ways to cope with STUG.
Prolonged grief, MyGrief.ca Module 28
Grief is a natural response to a loss. Grief, especially when new, can be intense, overwhelming, and even isolating. When grief prevents someone from functioning in their daily life over time, it is called “prolonged grief.” This module will help you recognize and understand more about prolonged gri ... Read more
Includes pages on what prolonged grief is, how it is diagnosed and what helps. Also offer a self-assessment tool for those grieving and articles, videos and podcasts on grief.
Prolonged grief, MyGrief.ca Module 28
Grief is a natural response to a loss. Grief, especially when new, can be intense, overwhelming, and even isolating. When grief prevents someone from functioning in their daily life over time, it is called “prolonged grief.” This module will help you recognize and understand more about prolonged gri ... Read more
Nora McInerny discusses her experiences with grief and loss and how they do not leave you, even as time passes.
