grief [L, gravis, heavy] , a nearly universal pattern of physical and emotional responses to bereavement, separation, or loss. It is time linked and must be differentiated from depression. The physical components are similar to those of fear, rage, and pain: Stimulation of the sympathetic portion of the autonomic nervous system can cause increased heart and respiratory rates, dilated pupils, sweating, bristling of the hair, increased blood flow to the muscles, and increased energy reserves. Digestion slows. The emotional components proceed in stages from alarm to disbelief and denial, to anger and guilt, to a search for a source of comfort, and, finally, to adjustment to the loss. The way in which a grieving person behaves is greatly affected by the culture in which he or she has been reared. See also bereavement, parental grief.
