Shock is the most palpable and immediate reaction to sudden death. It is nature’s way of numbing us so that we are not immediately overcome. It can sometime come before the denial stage of grieving. Bereavement writers have described it as a physical and emotional illness with specific symptoms. It is a temporary anaesthetic. I experienced it fully, but I cannot really describe it. Somehow it was like a physical blast, akin to having a shotgun discharged in my face, and it rendered me helpless for several days. I suppose I was close enough to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for a brief period.
Dealing with all the aspects that makes grieving different for different people would demand many posts, so I will list other relevant ones. These include the diverse medical, psychological and mental history of the bereaved. Under this would come age, gender, and marital status of the bereaved. The type of personality is another factor, and some psychologists show that there are 16 types of personality. This in itself is a major study, because each personality type deals uniquely with problems. The degree of social support available is another dimension affecting how we grieve.
Tags: bereavement, grief