5 Signs You're Dealing With Unresolved Grief

Maskot via Getty Images Grief therapists share what unresolved grief looks like so you can identify it and seek the support you need to move forward. In general, though, the most intense period of grieving typically happens in the first six months after a loss and recurs throughout the first two years, said psychotherapist Andrea Dorn, noting that this timeline “can vary widely from person to person.” And while it’s common to experience occasional, unexpected waves of grief for years or even decades after a loss, most people will notice “a gradual decline in frequency and duration of grief symptoms over time” as they work through these feelings, said Dorn, the author of “When Someone Dies: A Children’s Mindful How-To Guide on Grief and Loss.” But sometimes, the intense period of suffering doesn’t subside. This is known as “unresolved grief.” In clinical terms, it may be referred to as “complicated grief” or “prolonged grief.” Unresolved grief is “a type of grief where a person continues to experience significant emotional distress, pain and sadness associated with a loss, long after the normal grieving period has passed,” said Dorn, who is also the founder of Bloom Therapy and Wellness in Columbia, South Carolina. “A therapist can help you explore your emotions related to the loss, identify patterns of thinking that may be contributing to your difficulties and provide tools and strategies to cope with grief,” Dorn said. “Understanding this framework allows a person to be better prepared through the grieving process.” The goal of processing grief isn’t to “move on,” said Dorn, “but to find a way to integrate the loss into your life in a way that allows you to move forward — sometimes slowly — with a sense of peace and acceptance.