Susan Anderson (psychotherapist)
While Kübler-Ross, Anderson, and others have attempted to define discrete stages of grief, such as an initial period of numbness leading to depression and finally to reorganization and recovery, most modern grief specialists recognize the variations and fluidity of grief experiences, that differ considerably in intensity and length among cultural groups and from person to person. No grief stage theory has been able to account for how people cope with loss, why they experience varying degrees and types of distress at different times, and how or when they adjust to a life without their loved one over time.
Prolonged grief disorder
PGD is defined by its symptoms, duration and intensity. The symptoms are intense yearning for the person, identity confusion, difficulty accepting the loss, bitterness, emotional numbness, inability to trust others and the feeling of being trapped in grief. These are present every day, causing significant distress and functional impairment, and remaining intense, frequent, and disabling for six months or more after the death.