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Do you know the main symptoms of prolonged grief? Is it affecting you too?
Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) is a psychological disorder that occurs after the loss of a close relative or friend. This combination of symptoms causes the patient's pain in dealing with loss and grief to reach clinically significant levels. In 2022, PGD was officially included in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). This decision has aroused the consideration of the clinical community and made more people pay attention to this mental health issue. impact.
Specifically, symptoms of PGD may include depression, emotional pain, emotional numbness, loneliness, identity distress, and difficulty managing interpersonal relationships, which have a significant impact on the individual's daily life.
According to statistics, about 10% of people who have lost a loved one will experience persistent grief, and this proportion varies greatly among different samples and populations. This is especially true for grieving individuals who have a deep emotional connection to the deceased. In severe cases, they may feel like they have lost themselves and can no longer participate in normal social activities.
This sense of loss is not only reflected on the emotional level. Studies have shown that PGD can also lead to a series of physical health problems, including immune dysfunction, high blood pressure, and cardiac events.
Main symptoms of PGD
PGD symptoms fall into several main categories, including the following behavioral and psychological manifestations:
- A deep desire to be reunited with the deceased.
- Persistent disturbances in thoughts or memories of a deceased person.
- A sense of identity confusion.
- Emotional numbness and difficulty experiencing positive emotions.
- Persistent emotional pain, such as anger, distress, etc.
- Failure to accept the fact of loss often leads to denial and avoidance behaviors.
In addition to the above symptoms, prolonged grief disorder may also be accompanied by other functional disorders, such as excessive focus on the deceased and difficulty returning to daily life, and loss of interest in the future.
Symptom Diagnosis and Assessment Tools
In the process of diagnosing PGD, doctors usually use tools such as the Brief Grief Questionnaire and the Continuing Grief Scale to help determine whether the criteria for PGD are met. According to the criteria in DSM-5-TR, if symptoms occur daily and persist for more than six months, they may meet the diagnosis criteria.
Current research has shown that the symptoms of persistent grief can be clearly distinguished from other similar symptoms, which provides a scientific basis for the diagnosis of PGD.
Causes and Risk Factors of PGD
While there is no single reason why some people develop prolonged grief, research suggests that factors including early separation anxiety, emotional attachment, and emotional closeness to the deceased may increase the risk of PGD. .
In addition, as psychologists say: "The nature of the cause of death is also an important factor. Special situations such as violent death and accidental death often intensify the intensity of grief and cause individuals to fall into an emotional dilemma that they cannot extricate themselves from." These situations are not only It exists in adults and has a more profound impact on children or adolescents.
Management and treatment
For people experiencing prolonged grief, professional treatment is essential. First, Grief Focused Psychotherapy is considered to be the most effective way to deal with it. In some cases, antidepressant medications may be used in conjunction with psychotherapy, especially if the person also has depression.
According to research, medication alone is often ineffective for grief-related symptoms, so it is not recommended to use medication alone as a treatment.
Through appropriate intervention, the goal is to help individuals accept the reality of loss, return to normal life, and learn to remember and commemorate the deceased in different ways.
Conclusion
As our understanding of chronic grief deepens, we gradually understand that it is not just a psychological problem, but also affects all aspects of life. As society progresses, so does understanding and support for such a wide variety of grief experiences. However, do you also think that you or someone around you is being affected by persistent grief?
