According to Kenneth Doka, “these losses are at least typically not recognized and supported by others. Disenfranchised losses are not openly acknowledged, socially sanctioned, or publicly shared.: For example, when you have a loss that you cannot grieve publicly for, such as the loss of a homosexual child in an homophobic culture. Another example is the loss of a lover in an adulterous relationship, which cannot be openly expressed by attendance at the funeral.
Often the situation around the death will result in an inability to publicly grieve, which hinders a person’s ability to complete the grieving process. With the loss, there is an increased potential for complicated grief, as it may manifest itself in delayed grief, chronic grief, or possibly even absent grief. With these complications, the healing process may take longer and will effect a person physically, emotionally, and mentally.
GEC (Grief Education Center) 