Grief and Bereavement and Mourning...

Grief and Bereavement and Mourning...

What is the difference?

Grief is the human response to ANY loss.

Bereavement is the specific response to death of a loved one.

Mourning is the public display of grief or bereavement.

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GRIEF

is the normal process of reacting to a significant loss.

Grief reactions may be felt in response to various events in our lives, for instance...

the loss of a person to death,

the loss of a job,

the loss of a significant relationship,

the loss of one’s freedom,

the loss of one's residence,

Loss means that something of significance has been taken away, and grief is the response to that loss.

Grief may be experienced as a mental, physical, and/or social reaction.

Mental reactions can include:

shock, anger, guilt, anxiety, confusion, sadness and even despair.

Physical reactions can include:

problems with sleeping, changes in appetite, physical difficulties or illness.

Social reactions can include:

increase in conflictual responses, isolation, irritability, and difficulty caring about or for others.

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BEREAVEMENT

is the very specific response of loss of another human being.

Its intensity depends on the relationship one has with the person who died, and the situation surrounding the death.

If it was an anticipated loss, such as a prolonged illness that was life-threatening and sure to end in death, the grief responses would be significant but typically less complicated than if the loss was due to a trauma or a sudden, unexpected death.

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MOURNING

is a period of adapting to the changes created by the loss of the special someone or circumstance.

It is influenced by

...one’s beliefs,

...religious practices,

...cultural customs,

...rituals,

...and society’s rules for coping with loss.