Are There Different Kinds of Grief?

Grief is the feeling of coping with loss or change. The loss of a loved one may be the most common form of grief, but several other things could cause someone to experience feelings of grief. The truth is that grief can occur at any point in our lives when there is a disruption or change that can challenge how we function in our normal daily life and routine, and your reproductive years are times of immense change.

Grief during your reproductive years could include infertility-related grief, pregnancy loss (miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth), grief from unfulfilled parenthood, post-adoption or foster grief, abortion-related grief, traumatic birth experiences, loss of a parent or partner during this time, parenting a child with special needs, empty nest grief, and more.

This blog post explores the different kinds of grief one can experience.

Abbreviated Grief

There isn't a specific timeline or guide when it comes to grief. Each and every person must navigate it through their own schedule and terms. Abbreviated grief is a form of grief that tends to be on the shorter end. Depending on the situation or person, sometimes grief can be processed more quickly. Abbreviated grief is often experienced when someone knows that a loss is coming. They're able to anticipate and plan for it instead of hitting them suddenly or unexpectedly.

Anticipatory Grief

Anticipatory grief involves grieving a loss before it actually occurs. This type of grief can happen when you become aware of a loved one being diagnosed with a terminal illness. Since you're aware of a loss that could occur, you're able to start the grieving process early. When the time comes when the loss actually occurs, you're better equipped and prepped and ready to handle it.

Collective Grief

Collective grief is a form of grief that affects multiple groups of people all at once. This form of grief is most commonly associated with natural disasters, school shootings, or pandemics like the COVID-19 pandemic that affected us all in 2020. This form of grief can impact how multiple groups of people live and will change the way they navigate life moving forward.

Cumulative Grief

Cumulative grief is when someone works through multiple losses at a time. This can make the grieving process even more challenging and complex than it already is. Cumulative grief can occur in situations like the loss of a child. A person, in this instance, will grieve the loss of their child and the difficulties that come with their relationship after the fact.

Delayed Grief

Delayed grief occurs when you aren't able to accept the loss in the moment. Instead, you may experience feelings associated with the loss days, weeks, or even months after the loss occurs. The initial shock of the loss could prevent your body and mind from being able to work through these negative emotions and feelings. Delayed grief can also occur if a family member jumps into the caretaker role or takes on the added roles and responsibilities of planning the funeral. They may be so busy and distracted with getting everything done that they won't be able to fully grieve until they've accomplished all of the items they need to get done.

Inhibited Grief

Inhibited grief involves repressing the emotions you're experiencing from the loss. There isn't a right or a wrong way to grieve. There isn't a process that you can follow that walks you through every step and shows you what to do and not do. Every person handles grief on their own terms. Repressing emotions can be common, but it isn't always known that this is being done by that individual. Inhibited grief and the act of repressing emotions can lead to physical signs and symptoms since the emotional cues aren't recognized. Anxiety, digestive issues, and insomnia can occur when these feelings aren't processed.

Next Steps

Sometimes, the grieving process requires reaching out to a licensed and trained mental health professional for additional support. If grief is starting to impact your daily life and routine and the symptoms you're experiencing aren't getting any better, it's a good sign to reach out for additional support. Reach out today to set up an initial consultation for grief counseling.