Title: AIPC Article Library | Theories of Loss and Grief
Headings: Theories of Loss and Grief
Theories of Loss and Grief
Content: Melancholia is seen as a profound presentation of depression involving a complete loss of pleasure in all or almost everything. The process of mourning is viewed as a task to rebuild one’s inner world by experiencing the intense pain of loss that reawakens the loving affect of the lost loved one. The death of a loved one can result in individuals losing their sense of identity (Freke, 2004). It is suggested that in grieving, the bereaved is letting go of multiple attachments that are involved in the formation of a relationship. When the loss is accepted, the ego is said to accommodate the loss enabling the bereaved to search for new attachments (Humphrey & Zimpfer, 1998; Susillo, 2005). 2. Kubler-Ross Grief Cycle
The grief cycle model is a useful perspective for understanding our own and other people’s emotional reaction to personal trauma and change, irrespective of the cause. The model was originally developed to explain the experience of those dying from terminal illness. It is now also widely used to explain the process of grief more broadly.