Prolonged Grief Disorder: Signs, Causes, and What You Can Do

When someone you love dies, grief is normal. But if that pain doesn’t soften after months—or years—it might be prolonged grief disorder, a recognized mental health condition where intense sorrow persists and interferes with daily life. Also known as complicated grief, it’s not just feeling sad. It’s being stuck. You might keep expecting the person to walk through the door, avoid anything that reminds you of them, or feel like part of you died too.

This isn’t something you can just "get over." Studies show about 1 in 10 people who lose a close loved one develop prolonged grief disorder, especially after sudden deaths, suicide, or if they were the primary caregiver. It often shows up alongside depression or anxiety, but it’s its own thing. People with this condition don’t just miss the person—they struggle to imagine a future without them. They might stop seeing friends, lose interest in work, or have trouble sleeping for over a year. Unlike normal grief, which eases over time, this kind doesn’t fade with distraction or busy schedules.

What makes it worse? Isolation. Not talking about the loss. Being told to "move on." Or worse—being told it’s all in your head. But this isn’t weakness. It’s a real, measurable response to loss that the World Health Organization and the American Psychiatric Association now classify as a distinct condition. And the good news? It responds to treatment. Specialized therapy, like complicated grief therapy, helps people rebuild meaning without forgetting. Support groups, mindfulness, and even medication in some cases can make a difference.

You’ll find posts here that dig into how grief affects the body, what medications might help (or hurt), how trauma and loss overlap, and why some people get stuck while others heal. We cover what doctors look for, how to talk to a loved one who’s suffering, and what real people have done to find their way forward. This isn’t about fixing grief. It’s about understanding it—and finding a path through it, without shame.