An Ongoing Balancing and Tightrope Act - Pre-Grieving Process - Anticipatory Grief
Grief has many faces and manifestations. Though I have often written this in similar terms in my blog, it's very important for me to emphasize this. Grief is individual! That's why many people might not be able to conceive of something like anticipatory grief - grief that is felt in advance of the actual loss. But whoever reads this article might remember, "Oh yes, I experienced something similar or comparable.” Grief is about the loss of relationships, dreams, hopes, and expectations. People grieve for memories and past selves, but also for the loss of a possible future reality. Grief for forthcoming, expected events describes feelings of sadness that set in before an impending loss. This could relate to various events, situations, and individuals - such as a failing relationship, or the inevitable death of a loved one due to old age or a long-term, debilitating illness. Studies differ in opinion as to whether anticipatory grief is equivalent to "conventional" g...
