The Different Dimensions Of Relationship Grief

Photo By Kristina Tripkovic

Whenever we have to say goodbye to something in a relationship, we will experience grief. It does not matter if the relationship was healthy or unhealthy, how, or why the partner we knew exited our lives, a loss is a loss…..and loss hurts. Loss requires adjustment and adjustment is hard. Even survivors of extreme abuse will experience some form of grief. Elisabeth Kubler Ross designed probably the most well-known and accepted model to understand the stages of grief. Her model highlights 5 stages: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. As most therapists will tell you, grief is not a linear process. You may take two steps forward and then two steps back. Everyone processes grief differently and there is no right or wrong way to grieve a loss.

I think many people automatically associate grief with a death and well yes of course, death causes us to grieve terribly but we often neglect to show sufficient support, empathy and patience to those who are experiencing other dimensions of relationship grief. In addition to the most obvious triggers of grief, death, there are other times when people experience the painful difficulties and adjustments caused by relationship grief.

Disability: When someone you love becomes physically or mentally disabled due to an illness, accident, or age you have to grieve the loss of the person you…