What Stage of the Dying Process Is Usually Most Difficult for the Family?

March 03, 2022 Post a Comment

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Dying and Preparatory Grief

Am Fam Physician. 2002 Mar 1;65(v):897-898.

What is preparatory grief?

Preparatory grief is the blazon of grief that people who are dying go through. They experience this grief as they get through the physical and emotional changes that are part of the dying procedure.

What happens during this process?

When people know they're going to die before long, they usually go through one or more of the five phases of the preparatory grief process. The phases may not occur in any certain guild. People can skip phases or even be in more than 1 phase at a time.

Shock: During this phase, people are often in a state of shock. Their feelings go back and along between agony and disbelief. They oftentimes experience that they are in a land of misery that isolates them from the world. Dealing with the bad news takes upwardly most of their physical and emotional energy. They accept very picayune energy or interest in day-to-24-hour interval activities.

Sympathy from loved ones is very healing. Talking to a doctor to learn more most the dying process can help.

Chaos: People often endeavor to live their lives every bit they did before. They don't accept the limitations or the time constraints ready by the disease. Every bit the disease progresses, people slowly and painfully acquire to take the changes enforced by the affliction. This process of constant change may cause uncertainty and anxiety.

Setting realistic goals that they tin can accomplish can be helpful during this phase.

Introspection: As the disease progresses, people get weaker. Elementary day-to-day tasks become harder to do. This can cause huge frustration. They look at their state of affairs and try to understand what happened or what went incorrect. They often ask "Why did this happen to me?" or "What did I do to deserve this illness?"

During this phase, people residue the past with the time to come. People enquire themselves, "How can I make the most of the time I have left?"

Re-adaptation: During this phase, people slowly start to re-adapt to their situation. They may even commencement focusing on the future. They may spend time looking at their entire life in this new context. They may think about things they desire to achieve before they die.

It can help to understand that most hurting and discomfort can exist controlled. Patients should talk to their doc near their fears.

Restitution: Sadness may become less intense equally the people start to slowly accept and understand the dying process. Waves of grief and sorrow and even spells of denial or disbelief may be felt from time to time. Well-nigh people who are dying accept their fate. They may find new meaning in their life. With adept care and good support, the dying process is often very peaceful.

Access to hospice or comfort intendance and a social back up network are helpful.

What are the signs of depression in terminally sick people?

Feeling very sad and crying ofttimes is a very normal part of the dying process. However, feeling down or depressed most of the time is not normal. Thinking a lot about death or suicide and feeling guilty or worthless are often signs of depression. Depression is common in people who are dying and should be treated. Treating depression tin profoundly decrease suffering. People who recollect they might be depressed should contact their doctor.

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This handout is provided to you by your family doctor and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Other health-related information is available from the AAFP online at http://familydoctor.org.

This data provides a general overview and may not utilize to anybody. Talk to your family doc to find out if this information applies to you and to become more information on this subject field.

Copyright © 2002 by the American University of Family Physicians.
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