MMG10: Types of Grief: Exaggerated Grief

Show 10 Types of Grief: Exaggerated Grief

Intro

I’m glad you chose to join me for this discussion on Exaggerated Grief. 

Did you know that there are different types of grief? 

The importance of talking about the different types of grief is for you to be able to identify and get a better understanding of what you are a loved one may be experiencing. When you understand what you are experiencing, it can be used as a grounding place and it can bring normalcy to the experience, which in itself is gratifying and beneficial. 

Exaggerated grief is when and individual is so overwhelmed by a loss that their grief intensifies and worsens over time. The person may develop major psychiatric disorders, suicidal thoughts, nightmares, self-destructive behavior, and a disabling helplessness. 

For this discussion, we’ll be exploring psychiatric disorders, more specifically, phobias. Phobia is when someone has a persistently extreme or irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to avoidance. 

When I first read the definition of exaggerated grief and psychiatric disorders, I thought of the movie Jaws. For those that haven’t seen the classic movie Jaws, it’s a scary movie produced in the 70’s by Steven Spielberg. It’s a story about a shark that terrorizes a beach. The police chief wants to shut the beach down but the mayor decides to keep the beach open in hopes of not losing revenue from tourists, resulting in many more getting killed by the shark. I won’t spoil the movie, but I will say that the movie was such a hit, others have made remakes, but didn’t reach the same success at Steven Spielberg’s. 

My mind thought of Jaws because of the psychiatric disorder phobia. For those on the beach who lived through the shark attacks, I wondered, if the movie was real life, would they have developed, Thalassophobia, or Selachophobia, or even Potamophobia?

 Thalassophobia is the fear of large bodies of water, such as the sea or ocean. Selachophobia is the fear of sharks, and Potamophobia is the fear of rives or running water. 

Take a moment to imagine being one of the people who witnessed your friend or loved one being attacked and killed by a shark. Not only do you grieve the loss of a friend or family member, but you begin to develop an intense fear of large bodies of water and sharks. So much so, you avoid anything that has to do with large bodies of water and sharks. Visiting a lake is out of the question. As time goes on, nightmares get worse, and a phobia is developed. You are now experiencing Exaggerated Grief. 

Agrizoophobia came to mind due to having several friends and family members who enjoy hunting. I also have several friends, including myself who like to go camping and be in nature. Agrizoophobia is a fear of wild animals. After hearing about or witnessing a loved one being killed by an animal, can result in someone experiencing exaggerated grief, more specifically a phobia such as agrizoophobia.

A couple years ago, I had an associate whose husband, cousin, and uncle died in three separate car accidents within a few years of each other. As a result, she developed Amaxophobia, a fear of riding in a car. After many years of therapy, she learned how to  consistently distract herself while in the car to avoid a panic attack. 

Another phobia is Dromophobia- a fear crossing the street. Witnessing or hearing about a close companion who was killed while crossing the street can cause some to develop this type of phobia. 

Arsonphobia is the fear of fire. Nosocomephobia is the fear of hospitals. Pathophobia is the fear of disease. Pharmacophobia is the fear of taking medicine. Siderodromophobia is the fear of trains, railroads, or train travel and there are so many more phobias that can be developed while experiencing exaggerated grief. 

Keep in mind, that if a specif