Grief And Depression Research Paper

The life transition of death and dying is inevitably one with which we will all be faced; we will all experience the death of people we hold close throughout our lifetime. This paper will explore the different processes of grief including the bereavement, mourning, and sorrow individuals go through after losing someone to death. Bereavement is a period of adaptation following a life changing loss. This period encompasses mourning, which includes behaviors and rituals following a death, and the wide range of emotions that go with it. Sorrow is the state of ongoing sadness not overcome in the grieving process; though not pathological, persistent

Death is inevitable. It is one of the only certainties in life. Regardless, people are often uncomfortable discussing death. Nyatanga (2016) posits that the idea of no longer existing increases anxiety and emotional distress in relation to one’s mortality. Because of the difficulty in level of care for end-of-life patients, the patient and the family often need professional assistance for physical and emotional care. Many family caregivers are not professionally trained in medicine, and this is where hospice comes into play. Hospice aims to meet the holistic needs of both the patient and the patient’s family through treatment plans, education, and advocacy. There is a duality of care to the treatment provided by hospice staff in that they do not attempt to separate the patient’s care from the family’s care. Leming and Dickinson (2011) support that hospice, unlike other clinical fields, focuses on the patient and the family together instead of seeing the patient independent of the family. Many times in hospitals, the medical team focuses solely on the goal of returning the patient back to health in order for them to return to their normal lives. They do not take into account the psychological and spiritual components of the patient’s journey and the journey that the family must take as well. For treatment of the patient, Leming and Dickinson agree that hospice does not attempt to cure patients, and instead concentrates solely

To begin, there are many aspects of helping patients that are dealing with grief, loss, death, or dying. Whether the patient has lost someone that was close to them or they themselves are dying, the situation is quite fragile. Some important aspects that may help when handling these patients are knowledge about the different cultures and their beliefs and traditions, different factors that have an impact on grief, and how to communicate with people living on the edge of life. These are all extremely important matters when it comes to such a sensitive situation.

Grief is a natural occurrence that everybody goes through in their life. It can cause depression to some, but to others it is a way of coping with the loss of something incredibly meaningful. Grief can also occur from the death of a loved one, a change in your career, or the ending of a long relationship or a friendship. Grief can be any type of feelings people go through such as, being angry, being upset, having constant worries, relief, possible fear, or any other possible type of numbness. It also can be thoughts of despair and discomfort. Increasing your social life is one of many ways to quickly help the person get over the grief that they are experiencing.

Thank you for the sharing of your personal experience. If I knew, the patient was dying, I would like to contact the patient’s loved one and allow them to have time say goodbye. Death is a process of life. We cannot avoid or run away from it. Therefore, ones need to learn the harmony of life. Grief is unavoidable during the death process. However, if we deal with it well, we can learn and obtain valuable experience on it. Life is sharing and love.

Grief is a part of life that is simply unavoidable. People grieve over a multitude of different things. For instance, when one thinks of grief they often immediately think of death; that a person has to experience the loss of a loved one to understand and go through the grieving process. However, grief is defined as “deep sorrow,” so anything causing one to feel a deep sense of sadness can cause them to go through the grieving process. The process of grief consists of five stages. The first is denial, where one is surprised and shocked to the point of disbelief. The second stage is anger, where one is just mad that it happened in general. Then they enter the third stage of depression, where they are done being mad, but are instead incredibly sad and are having a hard time even functioning. The fourth stage is bargaining, where one grieves their own life and begins to bargain with God and question what they could have done differently. Finally they then reach the fifth and final stage which is acceptance, where one is able to think upon the event and have happy thoughts.

Like when you lose a loved one, failed to enter a job, or a fallout in a relationship can cause a person to be affected and it may be too much for that individual to endure. These situations that was mentioned above are normal feelings of sadness or grief. Which would most likely cause the individual to blame or describe themselves as being depressed. So, what makes depression different from sadness or grief? Well the difference lies in the grieving process, which is natural and unique to everyone and shares some connection to depression. Grief and depression may very well involve intense sadness such as mention by Parekh (2015), “In grief, painful feelings come in waves, often intermixed with positive memories of the deceased. In major depression, mood and/or interest (pleasure) are decreased for most of two weeks. In grief, self-esteem is usually maintained. In major depression, feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing are common. For some people, the death of a loved one can bring on major depression. Losing a job or being a victim of a physical assault or a major disaster can lead to depression for some people. When grief and depression co-exist, the grief is more severe and lasts longer than grief without depression. Despite some overlap between grief and depression, they are different. Distinguishing between them can help people get the help, support

Cancer is one of the top leading causes of terminal illness and death, and it takes the support of family and friends to help overcome many of the feelings that can occur before, during, and after a diagnosis. It is often difficult to understand how to cope with the feelings associated with losing people that you love and care about and watching other people that are affected suffer emotionally along with the ailing family member or friends. Emotional challenges are faced regarding what can be done to help the patient, family, and friends handle personal emotions throughout the duration of the illness and the stages of grief. A person that is dealing with a terminal illness, a family member, or friend must find a way to effectively handle and overcome the devastating feelings associated with having a loved one being diagnosed or passing away after a long terminal illness. There are different stages of grief and options available for any negative feelings associated with handling the illness and acknowledging the anticipated loss of a loved one. The grieving and coping process involves behavioral and emotional reactions, like shock and sadness, and then acceptance and understanding while working towards healing or rebuilding life.

Grief is a part of life that is simply unavoidable. People grieve over a multitude of different things. For instance, when one thinks of grief they often immediately think of death; that a person has to experience the loss of a loved one to understand and go through the grieving process. However, grief is defined as “deep sorrow,” so anything causing one to feel a deep sense of sadness can cause them to go through the grieving process. The process of grief consists of five stages. The first is denial, where one is surprised and shocked to the point of disbelief. The second stage is anger, where one is just mad that it happened in general. Then they enter the third stage of depression, where they are done being mad, but are instead incredibly sad and are having a hard time even functioning. The fourth stage is bargaining, where one grieves their own life and begins to bargain with God and question what they could have done differently. Finally they then reach the fifth and final stage which is acceptance, where one is able to think upon the event and have happy thoughts.

Grief. There comes a time in everyone’s life that they find themselves grieving due to tragic events or losses. I personally am very fortunate and have not had to experience hardly any grief in my life. Everyone is different which results in everyone having their own way that they deal with grief. The way that Edgar Allan Poe describes grief and the way that Emily Dickinson describes grief is both different and similar.

Medicinenet.com defines grief as the normal reaction to a loss. Emotional reactions of grief can include anger, guilt, anxiety, sadness, and despair, while physical reactions can include sleeping problems, changes in appetite, physical problems, and or illness.

Promoting well-being emphasizes a person’s physical, mental, and social resources and enhances protective factors and conditions that foster health (Ferran, 2005). The most important component in ensuring the quality of life and avoiding challenges that may arise along the way for end-of-life patients is communication. First, a patient should be asked if they want information to be conveyed to family/surrogate instead. Throughout any communications there the following must be expressed: the seriousness of illness; expected course; treatment options, risks, and benefits; and empathy, support and caring. Additionally, family and other relationships should help in decision-making/advance care planning and aid in alleviating pain and distress.

Dying and grief are natural occurrences, from the beginning of time both have been a transition in living. Over the course of history, medical advancements have changed the life expectancies and processes in which people are experiencing death and dying. In today’s society having a loved one live with a terminal diagnosis for an extended period of time is increasingly replacing sudden and unexpected death as the norm. Death itself has become less of a sudden and unexpected event. In its place has come a common process that begins with a terminal diagnosis, which proceeds through a period of treatment (or treatments), and ends eventually in death. This process now means that both the terminally ill individual and their family are confronted

Caring for a patient in the last days of their lives or supporting patients and their families with a life threatening diseases such as cancer is a part of the nurse’s everyday role. This role can be challenging and at times upsetting but the nurse must use both their professional skill set and characteristics to achieve a positive patient outcome. Caring for a patient with a trajectory of death doesn’t get any easier with time but experience definitely teaches nurses how to cope with such an emotional experience. The World Health Organisation WHO (2002) described Palliative care as effecting all patients and their families who are experiencing a life threatening illness. Pavlish and Ceronsky, (2009) in their study of oncology nurses within

The concept of hospice care in the United States has continued to evolve over the past three decades. Initially met with great skepticism and mistrust by the general population and the medical community, hospice services and care are now considered a valuable resource and venue of care for those suffering from a terminal illness and for their families. The choice of hospice services and the approach of palliation of symptoms, comfort care, and the end of life can be difficult for a patient and family. The many issues that surround the concept of hospice care may cause the patient and family feelings of great sadness, grief, anticipatory grief, anger, defeat, loss, and many other complicated and gut wrenching thoughts and emotions (Chi Ho Chan & Fong Tin, 2012). With the support of the hospice care providers the patient and family have the opportunity to spend quality time together and share their thoughts, concerns, reflect on the past, and most importantly to communicate final good-bye’s and potentially seek closure to any remaining unresolved issues.