Have You Ever Experienced an Ambiguous Loss?

When people hear the word grief, they often think of an individual mourning someone who has passed away. And while grief is often related to the death of a loved one, loss and its associated grief can take on many forms. These other types of experiences are what we call Ambiguous Loss. Such losses might include:

• Becoming estranged from someone you used to be close to

• Losing a job or experiencing a change in roles

• Moving away from a place you loved

• A divorce or ending of a romantic relationship

• Losing physical capabilities or independence related to an injury or chronic illness

• A miscarriage or stillbirth

• A trauma such as a robbery or home-invasion that resulted in the loss of safety

Unlike when someone dies, there aren’t clear rituals or procedures to help guide us through our mourning of an ambiguous loss. We may also experience a lack of empathy or understanding from others with these types of losses. At MindTree, we recognize that ambiguous losses can also carry deep pain and want to provide a space for your grief to be seen and for you to be supported.

Is What You’re Experiencing Typical Bereavement, or is it Complicated Grief?

We recognize that people can feel pressured or guilty for not “grieving the right way” or for taking “too long” or “not long enough” to process a loss. At MindTree, we are here to tell you that there is no right or wrong way to grieve someone and everyone processes losses in their own way and at their own pace. A typical grief response can also look similar to depression, such as experiencing:

• Crying episodes

• Sleep troubles

• Feeling low energy or apathetic

• Becoming more isolated

• Changes in appetite

• Trouble focusing

• Feelings of anger, sadness, guilt and loneliness

Complicated Grief on the other hand, otherwise known as Prolonged Grief Disorder, is when someone’s grief response to a death lasts longer than 12 months without any improvements. This can look like persistent disbelief about the person being gone, intense and disruptive longing for the person, ongoing intense emotional pain, anger, numbness, preoccupation with the loss, and can even lead to experiences of self-destructive behaviors or suicidality. If this sounds like you, it is important to seek support so that the symptoms don’t worsen. 

Grief Counseling at MindTree

No matter the type of grief you are experiencing, MindTree is here to support you. MindTree offers several therapeutic approaches to grief counseling including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help gently shift some of those thoughts keeping you stuck in your grief.

• Narrative Therapy to help with sharing stories and seeing your grief in a new way.

• Art Therapy to give you an outlet to express your emotions in a different way.

• Mindfulness to help ground you when it feels like the grief is whisking you away.

• Somatic Therapy to help access and release the pain of grief that is being stored in your body.

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy to help you manage grief-related distress in healthier ways.

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy to help process the trauma that can come with grief and loss. 

Reach out to MindTree today to learn more about our grief counseling services and how we can support you through this difficult chapter.

Sources:

https://www.verywellhealth.com/grief-and-mourning-process-1132545

https://www.everisforever.com/articles-tools/grief-healing/8-common-grief-therapy-techniques/