Chapter 15: Bereavement And Counseling

Question 1

Explain attachment

Answer 1

It is an emotional link to someone or something.

Attachment is positively displayed by seeking closeness or proximity to person and feeling of security in their presence.

It is negative when separation from the person is followed by protest anger and attempts to regain object of attachment.

Question 2

What are the stages of bereavement

Answer 2

Shock/ denial: is a period of shock numbness disbelief and denial where they cannot cry or show any emotions and behave as nothing happened.

Awareness of loss: mourning person starts to confront loss at both emotional and practical level. Anger and bargaining may be common.

Acute mourning: involves feelings of despair and disorganisation.person commonly shows symptoms of depression withdrawal gloominess loss of interest in activities apathy tearfulness irritability and change in eating and sleeping patterns.

Resolution: involves certain level of acceptance of the loss and a return to normal life.

Question 3

Define grief work

Answer 3

The psychological process a person undergoes in order to cope with a significant loss and involves undertaking range of activities or excises that can help to manage the grief and decrease likelihood of person developing complicated grief reactions or mental illness.

Question 4

What are the stages of grief work

Answer 4

Actualising the loss: which is to make or real or realise the loss through acknowledgement which is geared towards moving bereaved person from initial point of numbness to situation where they gain awareness or acknowledgement of loss.

Process the pain: accepting and opening oneself up towards experiencing pain.

Adjusting to changed world: to being bereaved person to a resolution or equilibrium to move on with their lives.

Question 5

What is the dual process model of bereavement

Answer 5

Built on previous bereavement models but differs in

Acknowledging different cultures and different subgroups confront or avoid grief in different ways

Bereavement is not a passive process but needs active attention

Bereavement should oscillate between loss orientated and restoration orientated processes

Question 6

Discuss the cognitive stress Theory

Answer 6

Based on this coping can either concentrate on emotion focused coping which is seeking to manage emotions caused by stress or

Problem focused coping which attempts to solve or change the problems causing the stress.

Question 7

What is meant by bereavement as a process of oscillation

Answer 7

Adaptive coping during grieving can only be achieved when focus of bereaved person oscillates between loss orientated versus restoration orientated processes

Oscillation also occur between
Positive Vs negative meaning reconstruction
Emotions Vs problem solving focuses
Avoidance Vs confrontation

Question 8

Expand on the loss orientated process

Answer 8

Deals with loss and stress caused by loss itself. Pain and stress caused by loss can either be avoided by shifting one’s focus to positive aspects of restoration orientated processes or by engaging in other distracting activity

Experience of pain of grief includes

• Psychological and physical symptoms like lightheadedness chest pain
• Intrusive and emotionally loaded images associated with loss
• Anger commonly experience after loss directed at deceased family or friends.
• Regret risky lifestyles choices
• Feelings of insecurity following from severing of attachment bonds leading to anxiety and fearfulness
• Mental disorganisation and helplessness
• Loneliness

Exploring the meaning of life which is constructed by each person linked to 
View of the world
View of the future
Faith and spirituality
Self perceptions 
Interpersonal relationships

Process of reconstruction can be divided into positive meaning reconstruction
Negative meaning reconstruction

Question 9

Expand on the restoration orientated process

Answer 9

Focus more on problem solving than emotions

Positive meaning reconstruction can be either emotion focused or problem focused.

Gives bereaved person opportunity to think about rest of their life and about changes which may be necessary to move towards a normal life and reach new equilibrium.

Question 10

List some subgroup and cultural differences when dealing with grief

Answer 10

Women tend to be more loss orientated where they feel and convey their loss while men are more restoration orientated focusing on dealing with practical problems associated with loss.

In some culture focus may be on loss orientated with free expression of grief while other cultures will be more restoration orientated showing little or overt signs of grief.