Bereavement and depression
Everyone
grieves at his or her own pace. Bereavement expands across all areas.
This can even include the loss of a pet. Bereavement differs for all
people and ultimately you have to grieve for the time that is right for
yourself. The sooner you return to your normal activities, the better you
are.
Bereavement
can be a complicated process for many people and differs between cultural
groups as well as between individuals. Symptoms of grief can look the
same as symptoms of major depression. Death of a spouse is extremely
stressful and often precipitates a major depressive episode. Defining the
start point of such an episode in the context of bereavement can be
difficult. Generally speaking, after an undefined period, a process
toward moving on begins. Funerals and memorial services are ritual-based
events that help provide a sense of closure for many people to help them
recover from their grief. If there is no evidence of efforts toward this
recovery, with poor functioning in work and/or relationships persisting,
then the presence of a clinical depression is more likely. If suicidal
thoughts occur, perhaps associated with wishes to be with the spouse
again, depression that requires treatment is likely present. In such
circumstances, it is best to seek professional help. It may be difficult
to convince the grieving person to go for an evaluation, but helping set
up the appointment, attending the appointment, and even insisting that
consultation be sought can be useful. Again, if suicidal thinking is
believed to be present, going to a local emergency room may be necessary
if treatment interventions are refused.
