A woman cares for her husband with late-stage dementia. A family takes turns sitting with their beloved mother in hospice. Expectant parents discover their unborn baby has life-threatening medical complications.
Each of these people face complicated feelings of sadness and loss — even though their loved ones are still by their sides. Called “anticipatory grief,” these emotions are common for people facing the serious illness or expected loss of loved ones.
“Anticipatory grief is a normal part of the grieving process in terms of ‘gearing up’ for what is to come,” says Craig Sawchuk, Ph.D., L.P., a Mayo Clinic psychologist.
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