Overcoming The Debilitating Loss of a Loved One

Healing the complicated grief

Complicated Grief (CG) is a debilitating clinical syndrome that can develop in the aftermath of the death of a loved one, but little is known about it. A paper published in the current issue of Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice is the first to offer a conceptualization of Complicated Grief which can be used as a framework for its underlying conditions and for cognitive-behavioral treatment strategies.

Complicated Grief is defined as a combination of separation distress and traumatic distress that causes persistent and significant problems in a person's functioning for at least six months following a death. The authors explain that, at the core of Complicated Grief, the loss is poorly integrated into memory. Patients often experience the separation as very distinct, significant, and emotional as if it was new.

Many have the sense that the loved one is still alive or bound to return soon. They continue to engage in automatic responses aimed at restoring closeness to the deceased and withdraw from social and recreational activities.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for Complicated Grief aims to alleviate symptoms by accomplishing three goals: the loss needs to be processed and integrated into autobiographical knowledge, problematic beliefs and interpretations need to be identified and changed, and avoidance strategies need to be replaced to aid adjustment. The authors hope their conceptualization will facilitate research on Complicated Grief and will help others who fail to recover from loss.