Grief (patient information)
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Synonyms and Keywords: Mourning; Grieving; Bereavement

# Overview
Grief is a reaction to a major loss. It is most often an unhappy and painful emotion.

# What are the symptoms of Grief?
- There can be five stages of grief. These reactions might not occur in a specific order, and can (at times) occur together. Not everyone experiences all of these emotions:
- Denial, disbelief, numbness
- Anger, blaming others
- Bargaining (for instance "If I am cured of this cancer, I will never smoke again.")
- Depressed mood, sadness, and crying
- Acceptance, coming to terms
- People who are grieving may have crying spells, some trouble sleeping, and lack of productivity at work.

# What causes Grief?
- Grief may be triggered by the death of a loved one. People also can experience grief if they have an illness for which there is no cure, or a chronic condition that affects their quality of life. The end of a significant relationship may also cause a grieving process.
- Everyone feels grief in their own way. However, there are common stages to the process of mourning. It starts with recognizing a loss and continues until a person eventually accepts that loss. People's responses to grief will be different, depending on the circumstances of the death.
- For example, if the person who died had a chronic illness, the death may have been expected. The end of the person's suffering might even have come as a relief. If the death was accidental or violent, coming to a stage of acceptance might take longer.

# When to seek urgent medical care?
Call your health care provider if:
- You can't deal with grief
- You are using excessive amounts of drugs or alcohol
- You become very depressed
- You have prolonged  depression that interferes with your daily life

# Diagnosis
- The doctor will perform a physical exam and ask questions about your symptoms, including sleep and appetite.
- Symptoms that last for a while may lead to clinical depression.

# Treatment options
- Family and friends can offer emotional support during the grieving process.
- Sometimes outside factors can affect the normal grieving process, and people might need help from:
- Clergy
- Mental health specialists
- Self-help groups
- Social workers
- The acute phase of grief usually lasts up to 2 months. Some milder symptoms may last for a year or longer.
- Psychological counseling may help a person who is unable to face the loss (absent grief reaction), or who has depression with grieving.

# Where to find medical care for Grief?
Directions to Hospitals Treating Grief

# What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
It may take a year or longer to overcome strong feelings of grief, and to accept the loss.

# Possible complications
- Grief and loss can affect your overall health. It can lead to depression or excessive alcohol or drug use.
- Grief that lasts for more than two months and is severe enough to interfere with daily life may be a sign of more serious illness, such as major depression.
- Medication may be helpful.

# Prevention
Grief should not be prevented because it is a healthy response to loss. Instead, it should be respected. Those who are grieving should have support to help them through the process.

# Support groups
- National Institute on Aging
- Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
- The Compassionate Friends
- Bereaved Parents of the USA

# Source