Disenfranchised grief can be defined as a loss that is not openly acknowledged or a mourning process not recognized socially after a loss. One can also self-disenfranchise as suppressing and not allowing oneself to grieve resulting in inhibited grief or absent grief. People who experience disenfranchised grief may experience many of the typical symptoms of grief such as feelings of sadness, despair, anger, and guilt, as well as physical symptoms such as difficulty sleeping and changes in appetite. These symptoms can be exacerbated when a person’s grief is not recognized by others and they don’t receive social support or have the systems in place to aide them. Circumstances that may go unrecognized that can lead to disenfranchised grief include a relationship breakup, a friendship breakdown, loss of a job, estrangement from a loved one, incarceration of a loved one, pregnancy loss, infertility, loss of a pet, loss of mobility or health to name a few.