Care, Not Cure
The Journal of the American Medical Association reported several years ago that if an individual continues to experience the stages of grief after six months and has not reached the final stage of acceptance, they should consider getting an evaluation and possible treatment.
A summary of this study was printed in national newspapers under the title, Study Confirms 5 Stages of Grief. Articles like this one reinforce the idea that the experience of grief should follow a predictable course and be time limited. If the “symptoms” of grief exceed that time limit according to this information, then there may be a mental health “diagnosis.”
Many people come to see me because they fear their grief is mentally unhealthy. They are reassured to learn grief is not an illness. It is a normal and painful response to loss that requires care, not cure. As the monk Thomas à Kempis suggested, humans must at times experience “proper sorrows of the soul.”
CLICK HERE to purchase a copy of my book “Getting Grief Right.”
Getting Grief Right
by Dr. Patrick O'Malley
A masterpiece that will touch your heart and soul with healing powers. • A compassionate, wise, and practical guide • A must read for anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one.
DR. PATRICK O’MALLEY
Grief Therapist
Dr. Patrick O’Malley is a psychotherapist in Fort Worth, Texas, who specializes in grief counseling. For 40 years, he has counseled individuals, couples and families
in his private practice.
AS SEEN IN THE:
Getting Grief Right
by Dr. Patrick O'Malley
By the time Mary came to see me, six months after losing her daughter to sudden infant death syndrome, she had hired and fired two other therapists. She was trying to get her grief right...
