"People often think of holidays as joyful, but for many, this time of year can make grief feel even stronger. This can occur, for instance, when someone is suffering from ambiguous loss - a kind of pain that happens when someone is present but emotionally or cognitively distant, like with dementia or estrangement. This grief can feel lasting and hard to describe, 1 making the holidays especially challenging."
"Ambiguous loss is grief without resolution. Examples include: A loved one is physically present but emotionally or cognitively altered due to dementia, mental illness, or life-threatening illnesses. You are estranged from family or friends, where absence is felt, though they are still alive. Relationships that have changed so that the person you knew feels different. These absences and changes can be especially painful during the holidays. For many, the main experience is one of conflicting emotions: deep sadness, frustration, and sometimes brief moments of joy."
Ambiguous loss occurs when a person is physically present but emotionally or cognitively altered, or when relationships shift through estrangement or change. The holidays can amplify this unresolved grief, producing conflicting emotions such as deep sadness, frustration, and occasional joy alongside pressure to appear happy. Coping requires naming and acknowledging feelings, allowing grief and joy to coexist, and creating space for both sorrow and connection. Practical supports include setting boundaries, practicing self-compassion, establishing personal rituals, reducing expectations, and seeking moments of connection to reduce stress and sustain emotional resilience during the holidays.
Read at Psychology Today
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