Common Grief Symptoms

Understanding Grief

Finding Support

Deciding to Euthanize Your Pet

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Factors That Can Complicate Grief

If one or more of these factors are present, the grief process may be complicated and more difficult to complete.

• No previous experience with significant loss, death, or grief
  
• Other recent losses
  
• A personal history involving multiple losses
  
• Little or no support from friends or family
  
• Societal norms that trivialize and negate the loss
  
• Insensitive comments from others about the loss
  
• Feelings of guilt or responsibility for a death
  
• Untimely deaths like those of children, young adults, or young companion animals
  
• Deaths that happen suddenly, without warning
  
• Deaths that occur after long, lingering illnesses
  
• Deaths that have no known cause or that could have been prevented
  
• An unexplained disappearance
  
• Not being present at death
  
• Not viewing the body after death
  
• Witnessing a painful or traumatic death
  
• Deaths that occur in conjunction with other significant life events like birthdays, holidays, or a divorce
  
• After death anniversary dates and holidays
  
• Stories in the media that misrepresent or cast doubt on medical treatment procedures
  
• Advice based on others' negative experiences with death or on inaccurate information about normal grief.
  
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  Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital