TEENS AND GRIEF

 Grief: The process of experiencing the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual responses to loss or the perception of loss.

 Losses which can be grieved include: loss of health, loss of a job, loss of community through moving or change of circumstances, loss of relationship through divorce, separation, estrangement or death, loss of dreams for the future, losses from the past.

 Teen Response to Grief:

Teens are in the process of examining the values and beliefs they learned as children and defining their own. They are struggling with the questions: “Who am I?” “What are my values?” “How does the world work and what is my place in it?” Experiencing loss during this stage of development can cause further challenges in struggling with these questions. Consequently, their feelings about death and loss may be conflicting and very intense.

Teens who are grieving can be helped by:

•  A person or group of people their own age who is/are also grieving and can understand and share their experience and/or
• Close friends who may not share the experience but have acquired some knowledge and skills about grief support and who are willing to listen and /or
•  A trusted adult who listens and can give positive support.

Signs that teens may be grieving and need help:

•  lack of concentration
•  declining grades
•  loss of interest in usual activities
•  hypervigilance, increased startle response, sensitivity to noise or activity
•  over-activity, too busy (trying to block out the pain)
•  social isolation
•  despondency or depression
•  drug and alcohol consumption
•   disordered eating (anorexia, bulimia)
•   risk-taking behaviour
•  self-destructive, anti-social or criminal behaviour
•   promiscuity or prostitution
•  contemplation of suicide or suicide attempts

 5/02 Copyright Jan Bryant 2002. No reproduction without permission.