Question

Jordan, Zach, and Helena are now in their 50s and have one remaining living parent, Dean. Their mother, Leigh, passed away 10 months ago unexpectedly from a stroke. Their dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer that metastasized to the liver just three months ago, and Dean is on a rapid decline. The siblings are all in different stages of grief and all have different relationships with their father. Helena (the youngest) never forgave Dean for his midlife behavior, although Dean and Leigh did not divorce and seemed to form a stronger relationship after Dean’s midlife issues were resolved with time and counseling. Zach was the middle child and always felt like the middle child; he was very close with his mother and is still deep in grief over losing her so recently and so suddenly. Jordan was extremely close with his father and considered him his best friend. Dean is very anxious and afraid of dying; however, he does claim that he is eager to reunite with the love of his life—Leigh.

What type of grief reactions are Jordan, Zach, and Helena experiencing? Explain the reaction types you selected to characterize each. Which sibling do you feel is going to have the hardest time recovering emotionally from these losses and why?

Answer 1

The type of grief reactions are:

Jordan: Being close to his father , Jordan may be having a anticipatory grief that is he may anticipating the death of his father and how his life is going to be affected at the loss.Similarly Jordon may also experience an acute grief reaction if he is not well supported after father's death.

Zach: Zach may experience a cumulative grief reaction because he is already not over with his mother's loss and the father's loss may add more sadness and despair to his grief

Helena: Helena's grief reaction may be normal and she may recover soon from the loss of her father because she's not very attached to her father and that she's is still not able to forgive him for his actions of midlife or she may have an abbreviated grief reaction due to distance between her and the father.

Of the three Zach is going to have the hardest time recovering emotionally from these losses because he was attached to both of them.He is already in deep despair at his mother's loss so suddenly and hasn't accepted it well ,the father's loss will add more emotional pain to his grief reaction.