Volume 7 Issue 2 February, 2017
❌ Grief reaction is a mental illness.
✅ Grief reaction is a normal response after loss of someone/thing valuable. However abnormal grief is coded at various sections in various classificatory systems namely Z63.4 in ICD-10 as uncomplicated bereavement, F 43.2 under adjustment disorders and more recently in DSM-5 under Section – 3 listing emerging measures and models with title Persistent complex bereavement disorder which is complicated grief lasting more than an year.
❌ Grief reaction occurs only after death of someone.
✅ Though common after death, it can happen before the death – as anticipatory grief and also occurs in case of loss of most valued things in life including organs, job, position and wealth etc.
❌ Greif reaction has to be treated.
✅ As it is a normal reaction, it is generally not treated with any form of medication or structured psychotherapies but person with grief needs emotional support to cope up better and get back to usual routine earlier.
❌ Grief reaction is generally severe in females.
✅ It can happen in both genders in various intensities which are determined chiefly by intimacy and importance of the lost person, suddenness of the loss and psychosocial adjustment of the bereaved.
❌ Greif reaction happens immediately after the loss.
✅ It usually happens immediately after the loss but it can happen before the loss as in the case of anticipatory grief and also it can happen as a delayed response days and weeks after the loss.
