Grief & loss
“The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to.”
ELIZABETH KUBLER-ROSS & DAVID KESSLER
What is grief?
Grief is a normal response after the loss of a loved one
Each person’s journey is unique and there is no time limit, there is no right or wrong way of grieving
Grief affects people differently at different times
Common responses to grief
Physical
sleep difficulties, tiredness, muscle tightness, changes in appetite, restlessness
Emotional
sadness, shock and disbelief, numbness, anger, anxiety, guilt and remorse, loneliness and feeling disconnected, emptiness
Fear & Worry
about oneself or other family members is common
Psychological
preoccupation with the loss, concentration difficulties, tearfulness
Behavioural
withdrawal from others, avoidance, loss of interest in things, impatient with others
Spiritual
shifts in spiritual and personal beliefs
In 2016, our team asked individuals who had lost a family member to sudden cardiac death to complete a survey that includes measures of post traumatic stress and prolonged grief
This study found
Up to 1 in 2 family members have symptoms of prolonged grief
​Up to 1 in 2 family members have symptoms of post-traumatic stress​
​​Those who witness the death/ perform CPR/ discover the deceased are 4-5 times more likely to have post-traumatic stress or prolonged grief
Trauma
Alongside grief, family members may experience some trauma and anxiety responses.
Trauma responses
After witnessing the loss of a loved one, individuals may experience:
distressing memories
flashbacks
nightmares
urges to try and avoid certain places/people/things
difficulty sleeping or difficulty concentrating
Individuals may also experience increased anxiety about themselves, other family members, or within the genetic testing process.
This study highlights that sudden death is not something that you just “get over” and a person experiencing prolonged grief and/or post traumatic stress requires intervention by a Clinical Psychologist.