PSY GRF Traumatic Loss

What are traumatic losses?

Deaths which are unexpected and unnatural, often violent

Give some examples of a traumatic loss

• Car crash

• Workplace accident

• Homicide

• Suicide

What do the victims of traumatic losses leave behind?

Relatives and friends whose lives are forever changed. In addition, these deaths touch many professionals on a daily basis: law enforcement, first responders, clergy, mental health, and funeral directors.

Describe the unique feature of traumatic loss concerning longevity of grief

Grief generally lasts longer than grief following anticipated death; even longer than other sudden, but natural deaths (ie, heart attack, brain aneurysm).

Many studies indicate that the second or third year is even worse than the first concerning traumatic losses, despite the expectation that it will get better rather than worse. Why?

• The survivor may just outright resist progress or moving forward because they don’t want to leave their person behind

• Community support wanes

• People are left mourning for the future

• In homicide specifically the legal processes can go on for years delaying grief

• Its hard for people to believe and theres a lot of shock and numbness, theres a prolonged settling in of emotions and reality

Describe the unique feature of traumatic loss concerning the range of emotions experienced during grief

Grief involves a wider and more intense range of emotions than anything most people have experienced.

• Can be frightening; often wonder “How can this be normal?”

Give an example of the wide range of emotions a survivor of a traumatic loss may feel

• Guilt

• Anger/rage

  • Many families of homicide victims report feeling a lot of anger and rage

  • Survivors of homicides and terrorist attacks can have violent fantasies around who they believe is responsible/is for the event

• Relief

• Shame

• Fear

Describe the unique feature of traumatic loss concerning violent traumatic memories

The survivor may have:

• Witnessed (audibly, visibly)

• Discovered

• Identified

• Imagined

The death

• They may also say they feel the trauma themselves physically from their person

• This is why its so important to have good final memories at the funeral home to help replace those bad ones