Loss and Grief Reaction

Loss and Grief Reaction

The loss of a loved one is inevitable, and different cultures tend to react differently depending on their beliefs. Cultural and religious beliefs play a big role in determining how we react to the death of our loved ones. According to the PDQ Supportive and Palliative Care Editorial Board (2020), there are three ways of reacting to bereavement that anthropologists have identified. First is the prescription of customs that help the bereaved resume normal life. For instance, there is a culture that practices disposal of the deceased properties and change of residence for the bereaved to reduce fear. Secondly is the expression of anger, which also differs in different communities. Some communities express anger directly to the deceased, and others to themselves. For example, in Morocco, the Jewish widows are expected to cut themselves with fingernails until blood oozes. Lastly is the belief that the dead are still in contact with the living through spirits, and therefore, the bereaved perform rituals to encourage the continuity of the relationship. For example, the Shinto and Buddhist religions in Japan believe that an altar should be set with the deceased photo in the living room with offerings such as flowers, water, and rice, among others, to show respect to the deceased. Our assignment writing help is at affordable prices to students of all academic levels and academic disciplines.

Grieving Process when a Person Dies Young

The death of a young one is usually devastating, and bereavement tends to be more difficult to end. The grieving of a child’s death can be aggravated by feelings of injustice, as parents feel that the death of a child should not have occurred (Martinez et al., 2021). In the early days of grief, the parents usually experience numbness alternating with pain that may last for months and even longer. Parents find it difficult to cope with the death of their child, especially if the child is the firstborn. This is because the death of a child robs the parents’ ability to assume parenting roles.

Depending on the age of the bereaved, the grieving process differs. For instance, the death of the young ones is always termed as untimely because the children still have a long life ahead. Therefore, different communities perceive the death of a child as unfair. In contrast, the grief of the old is well accepted in the community because people believe that after aging, people will finally die, and this is usually due to chronic illnesses (HealGrief, 2018). Furthermore, the aged are believed to have lived enough and achieved if not all, then almost everything they wanted in life.

Impacts of Retirement on Older Adults

Retirement can be defined as withdrawal from someone’s occupation after reaching the maximum working age. It is a very crucial social event with great impact physically and psychologically. According to Mukku et al. (2018), the event can either have positive or negative effects depending on one’s perception of retirement. For instance, some people accept retirement positively because they have achieved most things and have enough savings to sustain them. However, they will take time to adapt to non-working life. On the contrary, some will feel sad, especially those who were sole breadwinners to their families. To them, retirement means going back home with reduced income. However, with strong family support, there will be no psychosocial stress when one retires. In addition, retirement may affect ego integrity and cause despair in the elderly. For instance, despair comes about when one feels worthless staying at home doing nothing. On the other hand, ego integrity comes about when the retirees console themselves that they have achieved enough.

References

Heal Grief (2018). Grieving Death of a Child. Retrieved on 24^th Oct 2021. Available from: https://healgrief.org/grieving-the-death-of-a-child/

Mukku, S. S. R., Harbishettar, V., & Sivakumar, P. T. (2018). Psychological morbidity after job retirement: A review. Asian journal of psychiatry, 37, 58-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2018.08.003

PDQ Supportive and Palliative Care Editorial Board. Grief, Bereavement, and Coping With Loss (PDQ®): Health Professional Version. 2020 Dec 3. In: PDQ Cancer Information Summaries [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Cancer Institute (US); 2002-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK66052/

Martinez, A. M., Castiglione, S., Dupuis, F., Legault, A., Proulx, M. C., & Carnevale, F. (2021). Having Therapeutic Conversations With Fathers Grieving the Death of a Child. OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying, 82(4), 609-622. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0030222819825916

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Directions: Provide short answers of 100-150 words each for the following questions/statements. Do not exceed 200 words for each response. Use the textbook and any other scholarly resources to support your responses. Include at least two to three scholarly resources beyond the textbook.

Loss and Grief Reaction

How do different cultures approach loss? Provide at least two different examples in your response.

What happens in the grieving process when the person dies young? Would the grieving process differ based on the age of the deceased? Why or why not?

How can retirement impact an older adult socially, emotionally, and financially? What role can retirement play in Ego Integrity vs. Despair?