Personality and Mood Disorders Q 51

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Situation: A widow age 28, whose husband died one (1) year ago due to AIDS, has just been told that she has AIDS. Panky says to the nurse, “Why me? How could God do this to me?” This reaction is one of:

  

     A. Depression

     B. Denial

     C. Anger

     D. Bargaining

    

    

Correct Answer: C. Anger

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Anger is experienced as reality sets in. This may either be directed to God, the deceased, or displaced on others. It is common to experience anger after the loss of a loved one. We are trying to adjust to a new reality and we are likely experiencing extreme emotional discomfort. There is so much to process that anger may feel like it allows us an emotional outlet.

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Option A: Depression is a painful stage where the individual mourns for what was lost. We start to feel the loss of our loved one more abundantly. As our panic begins to subside, the emotional fog begins to clear and the loss feels more present and unavoidable.

Option B: Denial is the first stage of the grieving process evidenced by the statement “No, it can’t be true.” The individual does not acknowledge that the loss has occurred to protect self from the psychological pain of the loss. The first stage in this theory, denial helps us minimize the overwhelming pain of loss. As we process the reality of our loss, we are also trying to survive emotional pain. It can be hard to believe we have lost an important person in our lives, especially when we may have just spoken with this person the previous week or even the previous day.

Option D: In bargaining the individual holds out hope for additional alternatives to forestall the loss, evidenced by the statement “If only…” When coping with loss, it isn’t unusual to feel so desperate that you are willing to do almost anything to alleviate or minimize the pain. Losing a loved one can cause us to consider any way we can avoid the current pain or the pain we are anticipating from loss. There are many ways we may try to bargain.

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