Abnormal Grieving

What are the signs and symptoms of the condition?

A person with abnormal grieving may show many of the healthy signs of grieving. He or she may also show unusual behaviors. For example, a person who is grieving in a healthy manner may "hear" the voice of the dead person, but the episodes are brief and fleeting. Someone with abnormal grieving may continually "hear" the dead person's voice.

Abnormal grieving may last for an excessively long period of time. The person may show intense identification with the lost loved one. There may be a belief that he or she will soon die of the same cause as the loved one. The grieving person may insist that the loved one is still alive and show overly intense reactions in different situations.