Author Archives: Dr. Michael D. Baker

We understand that grief is “the normal and natural reaction to loss of any kind.” (James and Friedman) In fact, grief is “as natural to every person as breathing. It is inevitable!” (Westberg). But, did you know that grief is “uniquely normal?” Grief is natural and normal; yet, it is unique to each person. CynthiaContinue reading “How is Grief “Uniquely Normal”?”

Per Theresa Rando, “In anticipation of a future loss a form of normal grief can occur.” This is the grief that begins before the death of a loved one occurs, as death is imminent. Thus, with the awareness of the future loss a person begins the grieving process before loss occurs. Most people have heardContinue reading “What is Anticipatory Grief?”

A reality we need to understand about grief is that grief is work. The term “grief work” was coined by Eric Lindemann in the 1940s. In his research, he determined that grief was work because it “required the expenditure of both physical and emotional energy.” (Rando) Grief work can be defined as the “activities associatedContinue reading “What is Grief Work?”

The loss of a child! I’ve recently written articles on compound grief and delayed grief, using a friend’s testimony of her losing her son seven years ago and her husband four years ago. The fact that she had never addressed the reality of her son’s death, when she lost her husband, led to intense griefContinue reading “What is the Ultimate Grief?”

Delayed grief takes place when “normal grief is delayed for an extended period of time, up to years, especially if there are pressing responsibilities or the mourner feels he/she cannot deal with the process at the time.” (Rando) For the mourner that experiences delayed grief, it may resurface years later, possibly triggered by another loss.Continue reading “What is Delayed Grief?”

Compound grief is when you have more than one loss at a time, and grief is compounded, or stacked. When a person suffers more than one loss, grief can be complicated and remain unresolved, being too much for one person to cope with. I was reminded of this struggle last week when someone contacted meContinue reading “What is Compound Grief?”

Grief Ambush What is grief ambush? Theresa Rando says it is “an acute upsurge in grief that occurs suddenly and often when least expected, interrupting ongoing activities and temporarily leaving a person out of control.” You may not have known what it is called, but you know what it feels like to be ambushed byContinue reading “What is Grief Ambush?”