Understanding the Process of Mourning and Common Grief Reactions

Grief and Child

Bereavement Support

Death, grief, and mourning are universal and natural aspects of the life process. Hindering the way that we deal with death or loss can disrupt the necessary grieving process. Understanding these process can help us develop ways to cope and heal, as well as assess for atypical grief.

Normal or common grief reactions may include components such as the following:

Numbness and disbelief.
Anxiety from the distress of separation.
A process of mourning often accompanied by symptoms of depression.
Eventual recovery.

PDQ Supportive and Palliative Care Editorial Board. Grief, Bereavement, and Coping With Loss (PDQ®): Health Professional Version. 2022 Oct 18. In: PDQ Cancer Information Summaries [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Cancer Institute (US); 2002–. PMID: 26389487.