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Different sides of the grieving process

Summary/Abstract: This article presents various conceptions of the grieving process. It was Freud who first explained the psychodynamics of this process, highlighting the experience of irreparable loss and the need to gradually wean oneself away from the loved one. Bowlby developed an alternative theory of the grieving process, noting the gradual fading of grief that occurs after a loss, in the wake of a period characterized by a strong desire to recover the person who has passed away. Meanwhile, Kennedy presents an interesting conception of mourning, emphasizing the useful role that can be played by the imagination in helping to alleviate the mental suffering we experience after the death of someone dear to us. Another approach with important implications for therapeutic practice is the searching-for-attachment theory, which refers to the maintaining of ties with the deceased through the use of one’s imagination (Sochos, Bone).The function of the grieving process is to distance one’s thoughts and feelings from the deceased, making it possible for one to re-engage with everyday life — something which is otherwise hampered by one’s reluctance to part from one’s loved ones.The article contains certain therapeutic suggestions for resolving the grieving process, with a particular focus on the role of mindfulness in transforming mental suffering, as well as its use in the development of personality.

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