Anticipated grief: what it is, stages, types and how to deal with it

  • Feb 17, 2022
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Anticipated grief: what it is, stages, types and how to deal with it

As sudden as certain events may be, we sometimes have a tendency to anticipate events that will inevitably unfold in the future. One of the characteristics of the human being consists of planning, which implies that strategies can be put together in the face of moments that will occur. Faced with the news of a terminal illness of a loved one, there are people who usually carry out a series of actions aimed at gradually assimilating an inevitable outcome.

Perhaps something like this has happened to you or you know someone who has gone through a similar experience. Information on this subject is important in situations related to future losses. Do you want to know more about this? In this Psychology-Online article we will provide you with information about the anticipatory grief: what it is, stages, types and how to deal with it.

You may also like: How to overcome the migratory duel

Index

  1. What is anticipatory grief
  2. Stages of anticipatory grief
  3. Types of grief
  4. How to deal with anticipatory grief

What is anticipatory grief?

Pain is part of a person's life. As we go through experiences, we usually have various losses. Who has not separated from a person with whom they had forged a love relationship? Has a loved one ever died? How many times have we felt sad because of the loss of an important job?

However, when we talk about anticipatory grief, we are referring to a process that is related to the assimilation of a loss that will occur in the future. In this sense, this process implies going through a mourning as a result of the loss of a significant person.

Now, to understand this phenomenon, you have to know when anticipatory grief begins. And, it is that, the fact that it is anticipated consists in that mourning begins even though the death of the loved one has not occurred. For this reason, it is not about the beginning of the duel once the person has died, but before the person dies.

Anticipatory grief: what it is, stages, types and how to deal with it - What is anticipatory grief

Stages of anticipatory grief.

To give greater clarity to this topic, anticipatory grief can be divided into five stages that determine it:

  1. Denial: It consists of the difficulty to accept that a loved one will no longer live. This idea is usually denied since it implies a change in the lives of people in the environment, which leads to avoid feelings of sadness in front of the fact.
  2. Go to: It is an emotion commanded by anger that represents the death of a loved one. After the person denies the event, anger usually appears as a response to painful situation that is passing. It should be clarified that the anger here is with the situation, although sometimes it can also occur with the deceased person depending on the case.
  3. Negotiation: Here is the hope that the loved one can return to life or that his death be delayed. Furthermore, promises of changes in habits and behaviors often appear if there is a possibility that the loved one will not die.
  4. Depression: The characteristic of this stage is the feeling of sadness and emptiness that people who have lost loved ones feel. Because of this, it can happen that there is a general reluctance and a lack of interest in any area of ​​life.
  5. Acceptance: After having gone through the previous stages, the person can accept that the loved one will no longer come back to life and can continue with their daily activities despite live with the pain related to loss.

If you want to know more, check our post The phases of grief.

Types of duel.

Despite the fact that grief can occur in different ways depending on the person, it is important to keep in mind that there are several types of grief in the face of losses that are experienced. Here we will locate the most important:

  • anticipated duel: As we mentioned before, it consists of carrying out the grieving process before the loss occurs.
  • pathological grief: Here the loss is not accepted by the person who is grieving. This results in the duel lasting over time, since it has not been possible to get out of the denial phase. In this article we tell you How to overcome pathological grief.
  • absent duel: In these circumstances, it is common for the person to deny the painful situations that involve a loss. Consequently, this also refers to the avoidance of sadness associated with grief.
  • delayed duel: The main characteristic is that the process begins some time after the loss. In other words, grief does not begin when the loss has occurred, but after months or years.
  • chronic grief: This definition is used when talking about a process that does not have an end, since the feelings of mourning do not subside over time. For this reason, chronic grief can last for years or continue indefinitely.
  • inhibited duel: This denomination corresponds to the difficulty that a person who has suffered a loss may have in expressing their feelings. In tune with this, there is often an avoidance of feelings of sadness and pain.
  • distorted duel: Refers to the fact that the person relives feelings that are related to previous grief. Beyond the type of bond with the person that has been lost, the important thing about this type of mourning is that the person can't tell your feelings apart of one situation or another.
  • unauthorized duel: The transcendental of this type of mourning lies in the fact that a person's environment does not accept the mourning that they are going through. In this way, the environment disavows the duel that is taking place.

In the event that you want to obtain more information, we recommend that you read the following post about Types of grief and their characteristics.

Anticipated grief: what it is, stages, types and how to deal with it - Types of grief

How to deal with anticipatory grief.

When a person experiences a life-threatening loss, it is crucial to understand how to deal with this kind of loss. of situations since avoiding them can give rise to problems that can arise in everyday life. Given this, we will mention in the following items the possible ways to face early grief:

  • Confrontation with the painful situation: Although grieving means experiencing moments of great anguish, loneliness and confusion, it is important to express the feelings that are linked to the loss in order to overcome them in the future.
  • psychological therapy: Psychological treatments provide tools to grieve. On the other hand, therapy consists of a space for the person to talk about everything that generates anguish and discomfort in her life.
  • Communication with loved one: This consists of the manifestation of feelings related to mourning with the loved one. This situation can be carried out through letters, imaginary dialogues, among others.

If any of the aforementioned points leads to difficulties that imply a certain severity, it is important to consult a psychologist.

In case you liked this article about early grief: what it is, stages, types and how to deal with it; we encourage you to read How to get over the death of a loved one.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Anticipated grief: what it is, stages, types and how to deal with it, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

Bibliography

  • Meza Dávalos, E., García, S., Torres Gómez, A., Castillo, L., Sauri Suárez, S., Martínez Silva, B. (2008). The grieving process. A human mechanism for coping with emotional losses. Journal of Medical-Surgical Specialties, 13 (1), 28-31.
  • Kübler-Ross, E., Kessler, D. (2005). The five stages of grief. About grief and sorrow. Barcelona: Firefly Editions.

Anticipated grief: what it is, stages, types and how to deal with it

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