Although bereavement, grief and mourning are usually synonymously linked to death and loss, they each have their own definitive distinctions. Bereavement is the process of suffering a loss. The loss usually is caused by the death of loved one or a close personal relationship such as divorce or even health. Grief is a natural response to those losses which can be expressed physically as well as emotionally. Mourning is indicative of acceptable behavior following the loss of a loved one determined by the varying cultural and ritualistic traditions observed during the time period of bereavement. Practical reasons for making distinctions among these terms would be the different aspects of loss which bereavement, grief and mourning define. According to Kastenbaum (2012), “bereavement is an objective fact”, “a change in status” and “an outcome of large-scale social phenomenon”. Resulting from a forcible separation from a loved one or situation, bereavement differs from grief by being the process by which one suffers loss and grief being …show more content…
Although, these physical symptoms suffered from acute grief are usually sporadic and will fade over time, the duration of the physiological distress, can cause illness and disease without the proper dissipation of stress hormones. Hormones secreted by the central nervous system during the stress response should not remain stored or reabsorbed into the body where they may cause dysfunction in different parts of the body depending on the individual’s physical predispositions. A bereaved person suffering from acute grief should be encouraged to be physically active as much as possible to metabolize excess hormonal buildup in addition to maintaining a healthy diet for proper nutrition and immunity. A brisk walk around the block a few times a day would greatly benefit a person suffering from somatic distress brought on by acute
Grieving, this word could bring up a millions thoughts, and a whole bunch of memories for one person. Nobody likes to think about the end stage of life, or talking about the passing of a beloved family member, friend, or acquaintance. That this life that we breathe and live everyday will eventually come to an end.
Nurses are both blessed and cursed to be with patients from the very first moments of life until their final breath. With those last breaths, each patient leaves someone behind. How do nurses handle the loss and grief that comes along with patients dying? How do they help the families and loved ones of deceased patients? Each person, no matter their background, must grieve the death of a loved one, but there is no right way to grieve and no two people will have the same reaction to death. It is the duty of nurses to respect the wishes and grieving process of each and every culture; of each and every individual (Verosky, 2006). This paper will address J. William Worden’s four tasks of mourning as well as the nursing implications involved – both when taking care of patients’ families and when coping with the loss of patients themselves.
Death and Grieving Imagine that the person you love most in the world dies. How would you cope with the loss? Death and grieving is an agonizing and inevitable part of life. No one is immune from death’s insidious and frigid grip. Individuals vary in their emotional reactions to loss.
What is Grief? Merriam-Webster ‘s online dictionary defines grief as, “deep sadness caused by someone’s death; a deep sadness; and/or a trouble or annoyance”(n.d.). This term may have a different way of impacting one’s life depending on geographical location; culture plays an important role in how those that experiences a loss or hardship, cope with grief. After further research, a closer look will be taken at the five stages associated with grief and loss, how Hindu and Islamic Muslim culture deal with death, and how cultural differences may impact the stages of grief.
Individually, everyone has their own methods of dealing with situations and emotions regardless of any positive or negative connotation affixed to them. One prime example of this comes with grief. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her 1969 book “On Death and Dying” suggests that there are five stages of mourning and grief that are universal and, at one point or another, experienced by people from all walks of life. These stages, in no particular order, are as follows: Denial and Isolation, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and finally Acceptance. Each individual person works through these stages in different orders for varying levels of time and intensity, but most if not all are necessary to “move on.” In order for positive change to occur following a loss, one must come to terms with not only the event but also themselves.
According to the dictionary, the English term bereavement comes from an ancient Germanic root word that means “to rob.” That is a perfect definition. There is no better description of how we feel after a loss, than that of feeling robbed. From this word, the concept of relocation came into existence. I believe that an individual must relocate their grief from
Margaret Stroebe, Henk Schut and Wolfgang Stroebe are the authors of the first article titled “Health outcomes of bereavement”. Elsevier limited published it in 2007 for The Lancet, volume 370, issue 9603, and page 1960-1973. The purpose of the study is to evaluate bereavement, physical and mental health as it pertains to grief and the excess risk to mortality. Establishing correlations may help researchers identify bereaved related mental health problems by acknowledging similar behaviors and emotions in order to validate...
In Freud’s view, the difference between traumatic loss and the mourning is that a loss will not be a permanent trauma, but be considered as normal bereavement. Individuals effected by trauma, experience major mood of pain and display loss of interest in their surrounding (p. 46).
Upon receiving the news that a loved one had died, those left to mourn, called survivors, often find themselves entangled in a complex web of emotions and reactions. The death of a loved one can be a frightening, overwhelming, and painful experience and the physical, psychological, and social effects of loss are articulated through the practice of grief. Grief has been known to be experienced in five stages called the Five Stages of Grief where each phase of the grieving process will go from initial denial to the slow healing of acceptance. However, the devastating aftermath of a loss of a loved one, coupled with the suffering experienced through the five stages of grief can cause the survivor to commit suicide themselves.
Grief can arise from loss, whether large-scale or small, and may not be easily removed once it takes hold. Because of grief’s obstinate nature, many approaches have been developed in order to handle the repressive, and often painful, effects it can have on people’s lives. One of those approaches is Elizabeth Kübler-Ross’s theory, The Five Stages of Grief. In Sierra Skye Gemma’s essay, “The Wrong Way”, she juxtaposes her own personal experiences with grief against Kübler-Ross’s hypothesis. Gemma uses her confessional, combined with empirical evidence that contradicts the Five Stages of Grief, to demonstrate that feelings of grief are unique to the individual; therefore, there is no right way to mourn.
“I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.” (J.R.R Tolkien, 1955). The manifestation of grief varies from person to person, culture to culture, even religion to religion. However, in each case a few constants remain such as the stages of grief. How does the type of death affect grieving? What about the age grieving person?
The process of grief or bereavement is a very challenging and difficult journey for families and friends who have had the unfortunate experience of loosing a loved one. This potentially negative predicament is as a result of the intense physical and psychological toll that are placed on individuals going through this process and as result manifests into various emotions and behaviors such as anger, sadness and guilt. As such, it is warranted for health care workers to be proactive by knowing how to effectively support families and friends going through this process since most people are ending up dying in hospitals and the expected emotions and behavioral responses during this process could potentially spiral down into unhealthy responses such as depression and substance abuse (Whyte, 2009). That being said, my service learning project involved taking part in a fundraising event that was held at Dayton chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma society were the primary focus was to remember and celebrate persons that had survived and succumbed to cancer. Touted as the Light the night walk, was an annual event held by the Leukemia & Lymphoma society to raise funds, increase awareness and celebrate persons and
It is not easy to cope after a loved one dies. There will be lots of mourning and grieving. Mourning is the natural process you go through to accept a major loss. Mourning may include religious traditions honoring the dead or gathering with friends and family to share your loss. (Mallon, 2008) Mourning is personal and may last months or years.
Everyone has or will experience a loss of a loved one sometime in their lives. It is all a part of the cycle of life and death. The ways each person copes with this loss may differ, but according to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s novel On Death and Dying, a person experiences several stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and, finally, acceptance. There is no set time for a person to go through each stage because everyone experiences and copes with grief differently. However, everyone goes through the same general feelings of grief and loss. There are also sections in Kahlil Gibran’s “The Prophet” that connect to the process of grieving: “On Pain,” “On Joy and Sorrow,” and “On Talking.” Kahlil Gibran’s “The Prophet” reflects on Kübler-Ross’s model of the different stages of grief and loss.
William Worden (1996) explains that grieving is the adaption to a loss. After researching Worden’s theory it is my understanding that there are four tasks a person must achieve in order for the process of mourning to be concluded and the “equilibrium to be re-established” (Worden,1996). In his theory, Worden clarifies that the tasks are in no particular order. Worden also recognizes that some individuals may have to revisit certain tasks over time, that grief is a personal experience, and that it is difficult to regulate a time frame for completing the grief tasks.