Pathologizing the pathological and the place for grief: Reply to Brinkmann

Abstract

In this response, Lars Petter Sødal Bergsmark and Frida Ramsing address the arguments and criticism made by Svend Brinkmann (2023) concerning their carefully optimistic presentation of the psychiatrization of pathological grief in the article “Which Considerations Are Lost When Debating the Prolonged Grief Disorder Diagnosis?” (Bergsmark & Ramsing, 2023). Overall, they argue that Brinkmann (2023) presents intriguing perspectives on this controversial topic, but he does not capture the complex case of prolonged grief disorder adequately, partly because of faulty premises in his argument. Contrary to the perspective put forth by Brinkmann, the authors remark on the possibilities and promises of integrating critical cultural psychology with the developments in psychiatric nosology, and in conclusion provide three standpoints for the future of psychiatry.