Grief, although often misunderstood, is the natural response to loss.
It’s the name we give to the cluster of emotional, physical, and mental changes we go through when we lose someone or something. The first thing you might think of is someone passing away.
However, there are many, many forms of loss. Some of these instances, when grief goes unnoticed or invalidated, lead to a phenomenon known as disenfranchised grief.
Disenfranchised grief occurs when the loss experienced by an individual is not acknowledged or supported by society, limiting their ability to mourn openly or privately.
The concept of disenfranchised grief was originally coined by Kenneth Doka in his book Disenfranchised Grief: Recognizing Hidden Sorrow. He describes three ways in which grief can be disenfranchised, or disconnected. As you navigate your own relationship to grief, I hope learning about these can be helpful.
