Life after death: grief therapy after the sudden traumatic death of a family member

TOPIC: Survivors of the sudden traumatic death of a family member are at increased risk for complicated grief and bereavement. PURPOSES: To present the complicating factors inherent to sudden traumatic death in order to promote adaptive grieving in the survivors. SOURCES: A comprehensive review of the existing bereavement literature, clinical anecdotes, and therapeutic experiences. CONCLUSIONS: Grief is a process and not an endpoint. The goal of grief is not to forget about the loss, a commonly stated goal of survivors; rather, the goal is to remember the decedent, understand the changes created by the loss, and determine how to reinvest in life.