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Disenfranchised Grief: Recognizing Hidden Sorrow
A rich and full exploration of the myriad of instances where a mourner is deprived of the catharsis shared grief brings. Provides numerous interventions designed to help patients recognize and explore their loss, and find meaningful and appropriate ways to resolve their grief.
347 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 4, 2015
This book takes an empathetic, scientific look at disenfranchised grief and how counselors and other caretakers can best help the people who suffer it.
I believe that Doka was spurred to write this book in light of the worst of the AIDS crisis in the US, wherein people were dying en masse of AIDS while an unsympathetic public looked on. Grief that's not sanctioned by society - like that of a homosexual partner in the 1980s in the US - is called "disenfranchised grief" in this book. There are many issues surrounding grief which are discussed in this book, not simply AIDS, and some issues are given a fuller treatment than others. Disenfranchised grief is discussed just in the category of AIDS through these categories: the nurses and counselors of people with AIDS, partners to people with AIDS, and people who adopt foster children with AIDS.
There's also a section about disenfranchised grief regarding relationships society wouldn't deem mourning acceptable for: friends, employees, ex-lovers, planned abortions, stillborn babies, and even pets for the very elderly. I really appreciated the personal story regarding a stillborn baby. I wished there could have been more personal essays in this book; it would be the only way I'd improve it.
This book also explores the complicated world of grief and loss in situations where no one actually died: divorces, young people's first relationships ending, psychosocial death (where a person's original personality becomes obliterated due to TBI, drug abuse, mental illness, etc.) This section is handled with a great amount of detail and sensitivity.
Another interesting section of this book details the kinds of people who are not expected to be capable of grief in society, but really do suffer it: very young people, very old people, and the developmentally disabled.
Recommended interventions are given for all of these types of issues, to help people recognize and overcome their disenfranchised grief.
I picked up this book because I suspected that I had unresolved grief due to the psychosocial grief of my father's ABI. Though this book is directed towards mental health professionals, I think it was helpful to me to see what sort of interventions I might take. It was gratifying to see that my feelings are legitimate.
Undoubtedly some statistics in this book are outdated by now, and the issue of AIDS is not as prevalent. The framework and ideas discussed have not changed, however, and are really useful.
I believe that Doka was spurred to write this book in light of the worst of the AIDS crisis in the US, wherein people were dying en masse of AIDS while an unsympathetic public looked on. Grief that's not sanctioned by society - like that of a homosexual partner in the 1980s in the US - is called "disenfranchised grief" in this book. There are many issues surrounding grief which are discussed in this book, not simply AIDS, and some issues are given a fuller treatment than others. Disenfranchised grief is discussed just in the category of AIDS through these categories: the nurses and counselors of people with AIDS, partners to people with AIDS, and people who adopt foster children with AIDS.
There's also a section about disenfranchised grief regarding relationships society wouldn't deem mourning acceptable for: friends, employees, ex-lovers, planned abortions, stillborn babies, and even pets for the very elderly. I really appreciated the personal story regarding a stillborn baby. I wished there could have been more personal essays in this book; it would be the only way I'd improve it.
This book also explores the complicated world of grief and loss in situations where no one actually died: divorces, young people's first relationships ending, psychosocial death (where a person's original personality becomes obliterated due to TBI, drug abuse, mental illness, etc.) This section is handled with a great amount of detail and sensitivity.
Another interesting section of this book details the kinds of people who are not expected to be capable of grief in society, but really do suffer it: very young people, very old people, and the developmentally disabled.
Recommended interventions are given for all of these types of issues, to help people recognize and overcome their disenfranchised grief.
I picked up this book because I suspected that I had unresolved grief due to the psychosocial grief of my father's ABI. Though this book is directed towards mental health professionals, I think it was helpful to me to see what sort of interventions I might take. It was gratifying to see that my feelings are legitimate.
Undoubtedly some statistics in this book are outdated by now, and the issue of AIDS is not as prevalent. The framework and ideas discussed have not changed, however, and are really useful.
asa
July 4, 2015Chapters not relevant to my situation
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews