Loss of A Loved One

Bethseda, and National Cancer Institute (US). Grief, Bereavement, and Coping with Loss (PDQ®). PDQ Supportive and Palliative Care Editorial Board, 2021.

This book section gives an account of people who deal with the loss of loved ones who suffered from cancer. The section discusses grief and the existing coping mechanisms that people rely on in the event of a loss. The test explicates that the loss of a loved one may impact people differently depending on whether it was anticipated or not. Anticipated deaths arise when individuals suffer from a terminal disease, such as advanced cancer or old age. The chapter explains that people get over the loss of a loved one if they experience normal grief, which is characterized by various emotional changes, including denial, anger, depression, and eventually acceptance. The authors are credible; the first author, Bethesda, is a medical doctor and sees people dealing with grief. The National Cancer Institute is an organizational author with vast experience in handling individuals grieving the loss of loved ones to cancer. This source is suitable for my research as it explains the various stages of grief, offering insight into the possibility of recovery from grief or non-recovery. It will help address the sections of normal and complicated grief in the research paper.

Lekalakala-Mokgele, Eucebious. “Death and Dying: Elderly Persons’ Experiences of Grief Over the Loss of Family Members.” South African Family Practice, vol 60, no. 5, 2018, pp. 151-154. AOSIS, doi:10.1080/20786190.2018.1475882. Accessed 28 Mar 2021.

This peer-reviewed article discusses death as one of life’s few certainties. Each person is affected by the death of a loved one at some point in life. The article introduces the aspect of age and the nature of grief as crucial determiners of whether an individual gets over the loss of a loved one. It mainly focuses on describing the experiences of the elderly. The article explicates that each person’s grief and reaction to the loss of a loved one is unique and does not follow any predetermined pattern. However, it acknowledges that reactions, including crying, fear, and anger, are common during grief that they are termed universal. The article concludes that the ability to get over a loved one’s loss depends on one’s ability to grieve successfully and readiness for death. The author is an expert and a scholar in the school of social sciences, which grants him authority to investigate and address grief and loss, which is an issue of social health. The article is credible and addresses age as a critical determiner of whether people get over the loss of a loved one.

O’Connor, Mary-Frances. “Grief: A Brief History of Research on How Body, Mind, And Brain Adapt.” Psychosomatic Medicine, vol 81, no. 8, 2019, pp. 731-738. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), doi:10.1097/psy.0000000000000717. Accessed 28 Mar 2021.

The article describes grief from the lens of psychosomatic research. Here, the author describes how the body, mind, and brain adapt following the loss of a loved one, pointing out that complicated grief contributes to morbidity and could result in death if unmanaged. The article highlights development in psychology and psychiatry in response to complicated grief. The article notes that normal grieving allows individuals to cope with the loss of a loved one, but complicated grief creates a mental image that makes it difficult for individuals to get over the loss or cause them to take too long before admitting the reality. The author is a scholar and researcher in the Department of Psychology, which grants her the authority to address the topic of grief and loss, which is often studied in the field of psychology. This source will be suitable in developing various sections of the research paper, especially explaining how grief develops and lead to either recovery or complicated grief. The latter makes it difficult for individuals to get over the loss of a loved one and often necessitates psychological intervention.

Stritof, S. “Tips for Coping with The Life-Changing Loss of a Spouse.” Verywell Mind, 2020, https://www.verywellmind.com/coping-with-death-of-spouse-2301016. Accessed 28 Mar 2021.

The impact of death depends on the closeness of an individual to the diseased. This article explains how people should cope with a spouse’s death, which is one of the most devastating losses, especially if it is sudden and unexpected. The article reveals that the loss of a loved one, especially a spouse is hard but also notes that it is possible to create a new fulfilling life once a spouse is gone. It notes that the length of the grieving process depends on an individual’s ability to accept the reality and commit to improving their psychological health by grieving and seeking support to get over the loss. The writer has over 20 years of experience covering various aspects of marriage life and has authored a book, The Everything Great Marriage Book. The article is further reviewed by Amy Morin, a psychotherapist with experience helping people get over complicated grief. The article will be suitable in explaining the possibility of getting over the loss of a loved one, especially in addressing how people respond and get over the loss of a spouse.

Zhang, Yudi, and Xiaoming Jia. “A Qualitative Study on The Grief of People Who Lose Their Only Child: From the Perspective of Familism Culture.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol 9, 2018. Frontiers Media SA, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00869. Accessed 28 Mar 2021.

Culture and traditions determine the grieving process and how people respond to the death of a loved one. This article reviews grieving over the loss of the only child in Chinese tradition. The article notes that grieving in Chinese tradition is influenced by familism culture. This tradition among Shiduers contributes to complicated grief and makes it impossible for people to get over the loss of the only child. This reveals that culture and traditions are critical determiners of whether an individual grieves normally or develops complicated grief, which could take a long or even a lifetime. The authors, Zhang and Jia, are scholars affiliated with the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Beijing Institute of Technology, which grants them authority to research and write on aspects of culture and grief. The article is suitable for use in this research as it addresses how culture influences grief. It will help develop a broader scope of the research before narrowing it down to a conclusion of whether one can get over the loss of a loved one.

Works Cited

Bethseda, and National Cancer Institute (US). Grief, Bereavement, and Coping with Loss (PDQ®). PDQ Supportive and Palliative Care Editorial Board, 2021.

Lekalakala-Mokgele, Eucebious. “Death and Dying: Elderly Persons’ Experiences of Grief Over the Loss of Family Members.” South African Family Practice, vol 60, no. 5, 2018, pp. 151-154. AOSIS, doi:10.1080/20786190.2018.1475882. Accessed 28 Mar 2021.

O’Connor, Mary-Frances. “Grief: A Brief History of Research on How Body, Mind, And Brain Adapt.” Psychosomatic Medicine, vol 81, no. 8, 2019, pp. 731-738. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), doi:10.1097/psy.0000000000000717. Accessed 28 Mar 2021.

Stritof, S. “Tips for Coping with The Life-Changing Loss of a Spouse.” Verywell Mind, 2020, https://www.verywellmind.com/coping-with-death-of-spouse-2301016. Accessed 28 Mar 2021.

Zhang, Yudi, and Xiaoming Jia. “A Qualitative Study on The Grief of People Who Lose Their Only Child: From the Perspective of Familism Culture.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol 9, 2018. Frontiers Media SA, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00869. Accessed 28 Mar 2021.