NAMING GRIEF

A loss without clear closure - 

such as dementia, estrangement, or a missing person.

Grief that begins before a loss occurs, often during a serious or terminal illness.

The early, intense period immediately following a loss.

Grief experienced by a community or society after a shared tragedy.

Grief that remains overwhelming and interferes with daily functioning long after the loss.

Multiple losses happening close together, leaving little time to recover.

When emotional responses to a loss show up later because they couldn't be expressed initially.

Grief that isn’t socially acknowledged or validated (e.g., miscarriage, ex-partner, nontraditional relationships).

Long-term adjustment where the loss is still felt but the person can re-engage with life.

Grief tied to major life changes like divorce, infertility, health changes, or job loss.

Grief over the chain of additional losses that follow a primary loss (identity, roles, routines).

Grief that is avoided or minimized because expressing it feels unsafe or overwhelming.

Grief complicated by trauma when the loss is sudden, violent, or deeply shocking.