Grief, Bereavement, and Coping with Loss
People cope with the loss of a loved one in different ways. Most people who experience grief will cope well. Others will have severe grief and may need treatment. There are many things that can affect the grief process of someone who has lost a loved one. They include
- The personality of the person who is grieving
- The relationship with the person who died
- The grieving person's coping skills and mental health history
- The amount of support the grieving person has
- The grieving person's cultural and religious background
- The grieving person's social and financial position
Bereavement and Grief
Bereavement is the period of sadness after losing a loved one through death.
Grief and mourning occur during the period of bereavement. Grief and mourning are closely related. Mourning is the way people show grief in public. The way people mourn is affected by beliefs, religious practices, and cultural customs. People who are grieving are sometimes described as bereaved.
Grief is the normal process of reacting to the loss.
Grief is the emotional response to the loss of a loved one. Common grief reactions include
- Feeling emotionally numb
- Feeling unable to believe the loss occurred
- Feeling anxiety from the distress of being separated from the loved one
- Mourning along with depression
- A feeling of acceptance
Link opens in a new windowGrief, Bereavement, and Coping with Loss (PDQ®)—Patient Version was originally published by the National Cancer Institute.
U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI). (Updated 2013, March 6). Overview & Bereavement and grief. In Grief, bereavement, and coping with loss (PDQ®)—Patient version. Retrieved April 7, 2021, from https://www.cancer.gov