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.
Delayed grief
The term "delayed grief" is also used to describe a "pattern" in which symptoms of distress, seeking, yearning (etc.), are occurring at a much later time period than is typical. Delayed grief refers to any reaction that occurs later than usual, as a delayed onset of symptoms. Contrast to the term "complicated grief" as meaning a form of grieving that spans years (see full description at: Grief).