Title: The Ways We Grieve | Psychology Today
Headings: The Ways We Grieve
Ralph Ryback M.D.
The Ways We Grieve
From loss, to despair, to recovery, grief is an inevitable part of life.
Bereavement after death
Normal grief reactions
Grief is more than just sadness
Anticipatory vs. traumatic grief
Dealing with loss
Grief pangs: Yearning, disorganization, and despair
THE BASICS
Unresolved, complicated grief
Persistent complex bereavement disorder
Recovering from bereavement

Content: Traumatic grief is more likely to be experienced when we are faced with a sudden, violent and/or unexpected loss of a loved one. The experience of trauma and grief at the same time can turn our world upside-down. article continues after advertisement
It can be extremely painful to experience traumatic grief, as we may find that sentiments and triggers can easily remind us of our loved one. Especially when our loved one’s loss was sudden, we may find that thinking and remembering our loved one fuels painful memories and flashbacks that can make us re-experience our loved one’s death. The experience of trauma and grief at the same time can obscure the resolution of our bereavement. As many of us try to hold onto our memories of the person or even tangible objects that are intrinsically valuable to us in fear that we might forget someone who meant so much to us, the normal remembering of the deceased can even end up complicating matters and even causing us more harm. Dealing with loss
It was Bowlby (1969) who originally made his name by studying newborns and infants of parents who died in the Battle of Britain during World War II. These infants “failed to thrive” and later died despite receiving intensive nursing and medical care. Based on his work with infants, Bowlby recognized the importance of attachments with others and believed that the bereavement process is our natural response to broken attachment bonds. Part of the reason that our experience of grief is so painful is that we must learn how to let go of our attachments following a significant loss.