Old Pain or New Pain: A Social Psychological Approach to Recurrent Grief

Abstract

Acute grief that continues or reoccurs two or more years following the loss of a beloved one is generally regarded as pathological. Drawing predominantly on the work of George Herbert Mead, the present article questions this premise and suggests that the onset of intense pain years after the loss occurred may be the response to a “new” death or loss. As such, the pain may be a “new” pain and, thus, constitute a time-appropriate rather than a delayed response. Implications for recovery are discussed.