Stages of Grief? Yearning the #1 Response to Grief, Not Denial

Photo of barren landscape

If you’ve followed me at all you know I am on a mission to debunk the whole idea of the stages of grief. This study clarifies some of what is understood as the stages of grief.

This study supports what I’ve observed in people who are grieving. Though I don’t hear people use the word “yearning”, and I don’t generally use it myself, it certainly fits what I have heard described repeatedly in grief support groups…that constant nagging desire for one last word, one last touch, or one last sight of the person who has died. Yeah, “yearning” describes it well.

It’s also worth noting that all of the negative responses being measured peaked between 4-6 months which is when most, but not all, people report having the hardest time following a death.

My observation has been that somewhere between 3-6 months the full reality of the death hits, and with it the full impact of the loss. From that point on, the grief experience generally begins to improve though it is by no means done.

Source: Yearning Most Salient Feeling Following a Loss

Photo Credit: Calamark

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