Death & Grief
Death & Grief
Death & Grief
What is Death???
Permanent Universal Nonfunctionality
Pioneer In Thanathology
Elisabeth KblerRoss Swiss American Psychiatrist
5 Stages of Grief
Denial
Acceptance
Anger
Depression
Bargaining
When do we grief?
Death of loved ones Terminal ilness End of a significant relationship Common stage of mourning- 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.
Expectations
It may take a year or longer to overcome strong feelings of grief, and to accept the loss.
Grieving Process
Shock and Denial Intense Concern. Despair and Depression. Recovery
Abnormal Grief
Abnormal, often referred to as complicated grief, is found in only 3 to 25 percent of loss survivors. There are different types of abnormal grief: Chronic grief the grieving person has trouble finding closure and returning to normal activities over an extended amount of time.
Sudden grief when death takes place very suddenly without warning. Sudden
grief can lead to exaggerated reactions and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
4 Stages of Mourning
Accept the Reality of the Loss Coming full face with the reality that the person is dead and will not return is the first task that needs to be completed. Without accomplishing this, the grieving person will not be able to continue through the mourning process. Work Through the Pain Grief is painful, physically and emotionally. It is important to acknowledge the pain and not suppress it. Adjust to the New Environment in Which the Deceased is Missing This may require adjusting to the roles that the deceased once carried out. If it is a spouse that has died, it required the bereaved to accept their new identity as a widow. Emotionally Relocate the Deceased and Move On While the bereaved will never be compelled to totally give up on the relationship, the goal is to find an appropriate place in their emotional lives for the deceased. This requires a letting go of attachments so new relationships can begin to form.
Treatments
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 counselling may help a person who is unable to face the loss (absent grief reaction), or who has depression with grieving.
Nearly 15 years ago, the Educating Physicians in End of Life Care (EPEC) project had outlined a 7-steps communication process that may help physicians approach patients and deliver them the bad news:
Preparing Choose a strategic quiet, comfortable and private location
and time where there will be no interruptions. Ask the patient and decide who else should be in the discussion.
Assessing Find out what the patient already knows and wants to
know. Try to understand how the patient perceives the medical situation and his knowledge on the subject. Elderly patient will usually ask us to consult their children instead. Warning Alert them of the impending news. I have some bad news usually helps. Make sure this is done once the patience is relax and comfortable. Describing Present the facts in a succinct but caring way using simple understandable terms. Do not talk for too long and do not present all the facts in a wholesome way.
TheEnd