Complicated grief is an intense and long-lasting form of grief that
takes over a person's life. It is natural to experience acute grief
after someone close dies, but complicated grief is different.
Complicated grief is a form of grief that takes hold of a person's
mind and won't let go. People with complicated grief often say that
they feel "stuck."
For most people, grief never completely goes away but recedes into
the background. Over time, healing diminishes the pain of a loss.
Thoughts and memories of loved ones are deeply interwoven in a
person's mind, defining their history and coloring their view of
the world. Missing deceased loved ones may be an ongoing part of
the lives of bereaved people, but it does not interrupt life unless
a person is suffering from complicated grief. For people with
complicated grief, grief dominates their life rather than receding
into the background.
The term "complicated" refers to factors that interfere with the
natural healing process. These factors might be related to
characteristics of the bereaved person, to the nature of the
relationship with the deceased person, the circumstances of the
death, or to things that occurred after the death. People with
complicated grief know their loved one is gone, but they still
can't believe it. They say that time is moving on but they are not.
They often have strong feelings of yearning or longing for the
person who died that don't seem to lessen as time goes on.
Thoughts, memories, or images of the deceased person frequently
fill their mind, capturing their attention. They might have strong
feelings of bitterness or anger related to the death. They find it
hard to imagine that life without the deceased person has purpose
or meaning. It can seem like joy and satisfaction are gone
forever.