Disenfranchised grief This type of loss is still less acceptable socially. This is called disenfranchised grief which refers to losses that society doesn’t fully appreciate or ignores. This makes it harder to mourn at least in public.
Psychologists Robert Neiymeyer and John Jordan said disenfranchised grief is a result of an empathy failure. People deny their own pet grief because a part of them feels it is shameful.
This isn’t just about keeping a stiff upper lip in the office or at the pub. People may feel pet grief is unacceptable to certain members of their family or to the family more generally.
And at a wider level, there may be a mismatch between the depth of pet grief and social expectations around animal death.
For example, some people may react with contempt if someone misses work or takes leave to mourn a pet.
Research suggests that when people are in anguish over the loss of a pet, disenfranchised grief makes it more difficult for them to find solace, post-traumatic growth and healing.
Disenfranchised grief seems to restrain emotional expression in a way that makes it harder to process.
Our relationships to our pets can be as meaningful as those we share with each other. Losing our pets is no less painful, and our grief reflects that. There are dimensions of pet grief we need to recognize as unique.
If we can accept pet death as a type of bereavement, we can lessen people’s suffering. We’re only human, after all.
The above article appeared in The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization dedicated to unlocking the knowledge of experts for the public good. |