9781422270196

WHAT IS GRIEF? CHAPTER

The death of a loved one is one of life’s most stressful events. Anytime a serious event sparks a series of emotions, teens generally experience these feelings more intensely than young children or other adults. This is most likely because teens are prone to experiencing floods of emotions as their hormones surge and their brains and bodies develop rapidly. As a result, teens often wonder if their wildly fluctuating emotions are normal. For example, they may feel fine in the morning, intensely irritated at noon, excited at three in the afternoon, and exhausted at six p.m. Given all the changes an average teen goes through during the day, it is no wonder that teenagers feel the pangs of grief Most people define grief as extreme sadness. However, grief involves a whole host of emotions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “grief reactions include shock, disbelief, denial, anxiety, distress, anger, . . . sadness, loss of sleep, and loss of appetite.” 1 Adolescents may experience any combination of these feelings, and they may also display irritability and frustration, isolate themselves from friends and family, spend more time online, and dissociate from their favorite activities. with a special intensity. Defining Grief

7