Disenfranchised grief is the category that covers grief that doesn’t have a socially accepted place to be recognized or expressed.
Basically, it is grief that people feel they have to hide because others won’t understand it, will dismiss it as trivial, or may actually get angry about.
You never know when grief is going to show up, sometimes in the most unexpected places, at the most unexpected time, and in the most unexpected ways.
Anger can feel protective, but it’s usually a sign of deeper emotions like sadness, hurt, and shame. Lashing out can be destructive.
While there seems to be an acceptance and understanding of losing a family member or spouse, the loss of a co-worker can bring all of those emotions alongside added confusion.
