Helpful Data on Prolonged Grief Disorder

Image stolen from Parth Hospital

I was trying to explain my current experience to a friend of mine and ran across this description from the American Psychiatric Association  This material is very helpful to me because it helps me feel seen and recognized. Also it helps to know that I'm part of a pretty large group of sad people as 7 to 10% of bereaved adults experience what I have. I've highlighted the material that refers directly to my experience.

Prolonged Grief Disorder

An individual with prolonged grief disorder may experience intense longing for the person who has died or preoccupation with thoughts of that person.  . . . The persistent grief is disabling and affects everyday functioning in a way that typical grieving does not.

For a diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder, the loss of a loved one had to have occurred at least a year ago for adults . . .

Symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (APA, 2022) include:

• Identity disruption (such as feeling as though part of oneself has died).
• Marked sense of disbelief about the death. [Now this one might relate to me if the psychiatric observer didn't believe in ghosts and spirits.]
  
• Avoidance of reminders that the person is dead.
• Intense emotional pain (such as anger, bitterness, sorrow) related to the death.
• Difficulty with reintegration (such as problems engaging with friends, pursuing interests, planning for the future).
• Emotional numbness (absence or marked reduction of emotional experience).
• Feeling that [ED: "my"] life is meaningless.
• Intense loneliness (feeling alone or detached from others). . . .

An estimated 7%-10% of bereaved adults will experience the persistent symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (Szuhany et al., 2021).. . .

Some individuals may be at greater risk of developing prolonged grief disorder, including older adults and people with a history of depression or bipolar disorder. Caregivers, especially if they were caring for a partner or had experienced depression before the loss, are also at greater risk.

Prolonged grief disorder often occurs along with other mental disorders such as PTSD, anxiety or depression. Sleep problems are also common; an estimated 80% of people with prolonged grief disorder experience long-term poor sleep (Szuhany et al., 2021).