| Normal grief |
| Common symptoms of acute grief that are within normal limits within the first 6 to 12 months after the loss |
| 1. Recurrent, strong feelings of yearning, wanting very much to be reunited with the person who died; possibly even a wish to die in order to be with deceased loved one |
| 2. Pangs of deep sadness or remorse, episodes of crying or sobbing, typically interspersed with periods of respite and even positive emotions |
| 3. Steady stream of thoughts or images of deceased, may be vivid or even entail hallucinatory experiences of seeing or hearing deceased person |
| 4. Struggle to accept the reality of the death, wishing to protest against it; there may be some feelings of bitterness or anger about the death |
| 5. Somatic distress, eg, uncontrollable sighing, digestive symptoms, loss of appetite, dry mouth, feelings of hollowness, sleep disturbance, fatigue, exhaustion or weakness, restlessness, aimless activity, difficulty initiating or maintaining organized activities, and altered sensorium |
| 6. Feeling disconnected from the world or other people, indifferent, not interested or irritable with others |
| Symptoms of integrated grief that are within normal limits |
| 1. Sense of having adjusted to the loss |
| 2. Interest and sense of purpose, ability to function, and capacity for joy and satisfaction are restored |
| 3. Feelings of emotional loneliness may persist |
| 4. Feelings of sadness and longing tend to be in the background but still present |
| 5. Thoughts and memories of the deceased person accessible and bittersweet but no longer dominate the mind |
| 6. Occasional hallucinatory experiences of the deceased may occur |
| 7. Surges of grief in response to calendar days or other periodic reminders of the toss may occur |
| Complicated grief |
| 1. Persistent intense symptoms of acute grief |
| 2. The presence of thoughts, feelings, or behaviors reflecting excessive or detracting concerns about the circumstances or consequences of the death |
