Grief can be crippling. It can uncover complex feelings and emotions and manifest in physical symptoms as well. An imminent loss, or thoughts about your mortality, can cause profound grief even before a loved one passes away, which is called anticipatory grief.
What Is Anticipatory Grief?
Anticipatory grief comprises the emotions you feel before a loss occurs. It’s common when a family member has a terminal illness, experiences a decline in health, or is nearing the end of life. However, it can occur at any time.
Deborah Gilman, a psychologist who specializes in trauma, described it this way: “It’s the mourning and psychological preparation for an impending death or significant loss, allowing individuals to begin the grieving process before the actual event occurs.”
Studies have shown that for many, anticipatory grief is harder and more stressful than conventional grief after a loved one passes.
The Impact of Anticipatory Grief
“Ambiguous and anticipatory grief represent a profound emotional experience that often goes unnoticed, but their impact can be deeply unsettling,” said psychologist Barbara Santini. “The open-ended nature of this grief, where you might not know when or if there will be closure, creates lingering emotional exhaustion, unlike the finality of death.”
When thinking about what is anticipatory grief, psychologists cite five ways they see people impacted most often:
- Emotional: Feelings of sorrow, safeness, sense of loss, and helplessness
- Behavioral: Changes in sleep, appetite, and energy levels—often accompanied by withdrawal from activities
- Cognitive: A consistent preoccupation with impending loss, which dominates thoughts
- Physical: Persistent fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, or more serious physical problems
- Relational: Impact on the quality of relationships and interactions
If you are feeling this grief, know that you are not alone. It’s common. In fact, it can help you prepare for the emotional impact of eventual loss. For many families, this provides an opportunity for spending more time with loved ones or looking for ways to take control and find meaning.
Taking action can help.
Self-care is important to avoid falling into distress. Exercise, engaging in activities that distract your mind, meditation, and eating healthy can all help.
Many families find comfort in knowing that their loved one’s passing can help others in the future. For example, whole body donation in Phoenix, AZ, can make a meaningful contribution to medical science. This can create a lasting legacy and help you deal with anticipatory grief.
When you donate a body to science, you are taking control and making an important decision. Donating bodies are critical for:
- Medical education: Medical students learn the intricate details of human anatomy by dissecting donated bodies. This hands-on experience is invaluable for understanding the structure and function of organs, tissues, and systems.
- Surgical training: Residents and surgeons-in-training practice procedures on donated bodies, refining their skills in a realistic setting before operating on live patients.
- Simulation and training: Donated bodies are used to develop and test new surgical techniques, medical devices, and training simulations.
- Disease study: Researchers examine donated bodies to understand the progression and effects of diseases like cancer, heart disease, and neurological disorders.
- New treatments and therapies: Donated bodies are used to test experimental treatments and therapies, contributing to the development of new medical interventions.
- Forensic science: Forensic pathologists study donated bodies to improve techniques for identifying and analyzing injuries and causes of death.
Donated bodies have made significant contributions to medical advancements throughout history. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine reports breakthroughs in the treatment of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and more.
How to Donate a Body to Science in Phoenix
United Tissue Network (UTN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that coordinates whole body donation in Phoenix, AZ. Since 2009, UTN has helped over 12,000 families in this selfless act, contributing to medical education and research.
Accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), UTN’s caring professionals ensure that donated bodies are treated with the utmost respect and dignity.
UTN can also help families relieve some of the financial burden. There is no cost to donate a body, and UTN pays for all of the costs associated with transportation, placement of the donated body with a reputable medical research or educational institution, and cremation after research has concluded.
To learn more about how whole body donation in Phoenix, AZ, works or to register you or a loved one, contact United Tissue Network.
