Delayed Grief – What It Is, and How It Affects You
The loss of a loved one changes your inner and physical being in irrevocable ways. However the loss came to be, it affects loved ones deeply, and in unique ways. A person’s experience of grief is hard to predict, and how a person grieves will also vary from person to person. One experience of grief that individuals sometimes go through is delayed grief. Understanding Delayed Grief When you lose a loved one, there isn’t an exact timetable for your grief. Having said that, most people typically start experiencing the symptoms of grief when they first hear about the loss, or when they witness it. With delayed grief, a person’s grieving process is delayed or postponed, typically between 6 months and several years, or even decades, after they first experience the loss. With delayed grief, grief can potentially manifest soon after the loss, but it can be masked by coping mechanisms like avoidance or by other emotions like anger. The type of grief can be triggered months or even years later by significant events or a reminder of the loss. At other times, delayed grief may be the result of experiencing many losses or trauma, and those experiences accumulate over time. Why Delayed Grief Occurs The delay or postponement of grieving can happen for several reasons, including environmental, psychological, and emotional factors. A person’s emotional resilience and coping mechanisms play a role, as do societal expectations, as well as the type of loss. Delayed grief can occur for reasons such as: Trauma or shock If the loss was sudden and traumatic, a person could experience overwhelming emotions that can numb them, delaying the grieving process as they try to process what happened. Lack of emotional support If you have a solid support system and social connections, you have people around you who [...]
