Reflection Paper About Grief

The darkness surrounded her; its pressure was oppressive like the depths of the deep sea. It engulfed her with the forfeiture of life; however it did not rip her soul from her body, instead it took theirs. She had lost people before, but never had their death been so profound as to diminish her own sense of self. Never before had the loss of someone been so close to her as to cause the quantity of grief she now felt. She couldn’t fathom how divers survived at the pressure of those oppressive depths or how some could even find beauty in the pitch black; there was nothing beautiful in their deaths. She didn’t know that the diver survives by slowly acclimating to the physical and mental strain; knowing that resurfacing

Reading journal articles related to bereavement/grief and loss have helped me to understand theories of grief and loss in relation to the practice context. For instance, during supervision sessions, I have been able to discuss and reflect on several grief and loss theories, social work theories, ethical theories which will need to be considered while working with bereaved clients. For instance, dual process model, continuing bonds, stress theories etc. have been studied. Hence, throughout this placement, I have been able to explore the theoretical foundations of bereavement work.

Grief is personal and individual, and every person experiences it and processes it differently. While there may be similarities, there are no rules or timetables, and the grieving process is not linear, yet western society has created grief to be stifled in which people grieve. As a culture we wait for them and expect them to quickly come out of it fixed and whole again and put grief in a box. This grief box is small and compact, and it comes full of expectations that range from time frames, but also importantly to gender. Western society has also come to socially construct gender and because of this there are constant images and expectations that are associated with both males and females. Gender is closely monitored and is taught or learned at a very young age beginning with early socialization, in which individuals learn the social norms, gender norms, customs, and ideologies of society. People don’t understand the grieving process and it is also because society has put expectations on people and emotions and also expectations in regards to gender roles, this applies to grief as well as everyday life.

A loss is something most people find difficult to deal with. A term commonly used to refer to loss is been bereavement, which is the position of having lately departed with someone important in one’s life through death. It is normal in the human world to experience such a loss and people ought to know how to manage such experiences when they do happen. Bereavement is never easy; it is a period that individuals experience too much suffering that leaves them feeling vulnerable. Some people are also at risk of developing physical health and mental problems. It can take months or

Grieving is a process the human mind goes through to stay healthy through a large loss. According to the American Psychology Association “Coping with the loss of a close friend or family member may be one of the hardest challenges that many of us face. When we lose a spouse, sibling or parent our grief can be particularly intense. Loss is understood as a natural part of life, but we can still be overcome by shock and confusion, leading to prolonged periods of sadness or depression. The sadness typically diminishes in intensity as time passes, but grieving is an important process in order to overcome these feelings and continue to embrace the time you had with your loved one.” The argument could even be made that grief is part of psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs (See Below), which is a pyramid shaped diagram used to explain the basic needs of humanity. In a brief explanation Simple Psychology puts is simply, “Maslow wanted to understand what motivates people. He believed that people possess a set of motivation systems unrelated to rewards or unconscious desires. Maslow (1943) stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fulfill the next one, and so on… This five stage model can be divided into basic (or deficiency) needs (e.g. physiological, safety,

Grief is a natural response to loss, usually associated with the loss of a loved one. Grief has an emotional response, but can also have physical, cognitive, behavioral, and social responses. Other examples of loss can be the loss of a spouse, family member, job, independence, pet, or physical loss of an object from theft. Grief is an important part of the healing process, and can be one of the most difficult times in a person's life. Human's grieve in a very unique way, but so do other species. Everyone grieves differently.

For some bereavement is an unpredictable and traumatic experience, the loss of a loved one may evoke in the individual you support, behaviours and emotions you have not seen

A common struggle for many folks identify is trying to figure out how grieving is operationalized and whether they are doing it "right". "Doing it right" usually has two meanings for the person struggling with a loss. The first has to do with reaction - many folks spend a good deal of time trying to figure out whether how they are feeling in relation to the loss is normal. The second has to do with process - a desire for a blue print on how to go about grieving.

Grief is a normal part of coping with a loss but for some people, it can be far more serious. In

Someone who is grieving will experience “major psychological, spiritual, social and physiological” changes throughout the grieving process (Hooyman & Kramer, 2006, p37). There are many theories and models that support these words. This essay will discuss Freud’s theory of grief work (Davies, 2004), Bowlby’s attachment theory (Walsh, 2012), and Worden’s tasks of grief (Worden & Winokuer, 2011). The major tasks of grief throughout the four different stages of life will be looked at, as well as common grief reactions, and ways to support people through these. In addition how children, adolescents, adults and the elderly understand and respond to grief will be examined. Finally how people at the various stages of life confront their own death will be looked at, including some personal examples.

Analyse theories of loss and grief in respect of their relevance for social work practice Both grief and loss are an inevitable part of human existence and are at the heart of life and growth (Walter and McCoyd, 2009). Some losses are painful and consequently trigger grief, however some losses are natural and a part of development, such as maturation, and usually seen as progression but can also present as a loss. An element of social work is to assist service users in their growth, for example from childhood into adolescence, and offer support through difficult losses. Loss can occur within a wide spectrum of experiences; such as death and bereavement; loss of identity - for example losing something defining, for instance faith or religion;

In this essay I will discuss what grief is and the kind of grief a client could experience. We will move onto attachment theory and its link as to why we grieve. I will then look at what tools are available for counsellors to support their clients through a normal or abnormal grieving process.

Grief is the act following the loss of a loved one. While grief and bereavement are normal occurrences, the grief process is a social construct of how someone should behave. The acceptable ways that people grieve change because of this construct. For a time it was not acceptable to grieve; today, however, it is seen as a necessary way to move on from death (Scheid, 2011).The grief process has been described as a multistage event, with each stage lasting for a suggested amount of time to be considered “normal” and reach resolution. The beginning stage of grief is the immediate shock, disbelief, and denial lasting from hours to weeks (Wambach, 1985). The middle stage is the acute mourning phase that can include somatic and emotional turmoil. This stage includes acknowledging the event and processing it on various levels, both mentally and physically. The final stage is a period of

Black Americans can have different emotions from crying to being silent. People usually gather in large gatherings to pay respect. Black Americans have a belief that death is God’s will and the deceased is in God’s hand and will be reunited

In this essay I will outline the main theoretical models relating to loss and grief.