Understanding Ambiguous Loss in 2025: Navigating Grief Amid Global Uncertainty
Ambiguous loss is a profound form of grief that occurs without clear closure or resolution. Coined by Dr. Pauline Boss in the 1970s, this concept describes situations where a person experiences loss without the traditional markers of death or finality. Such losses can be particularly challenging because they often go unrecognized by others, leading to feelings of isolation and confusion.
Ambiguous loss is a profound form of grief that occurs without clear closure or resolution. Coined by Dr. Pauline Boss in the 1970s, this concept describes situations where a person experiences loss without the traditional markers of death or finality. Such losses can be particularly challenging because they often go unrecognized by others, leading to feelings of isolation and confusion.
Types of Ambiguous Loss
Dr. Boss identifies two primary types of ambiguous loss:
Physical Absence with Psychological Presence: This occurs when a person is physically absent but still psychologically present. Examples include a loved one who has gone missing, a spouse who has left without explanation, or a parent who has abandoned the family.
Psychological Absence with Physical Presence: In this case, a person is physically present but psychologically absent. This can manifest in conditions like Alzheimer's disease, brain injuries, or severe mental illnesses, where the individual's cognitive functions are impaired, leading to a loss of the person as they once were.
Recent Insights and Research
Recent studies have expanded our understanding of ambiguous loss, highlighting its impact on various populations and contexts:
Caregivers of Individuals with Dementia: Research indicates that caregivers of individuals with dementia often experience ambiguous loss due to the gradual cognitive decline of their loved ones. This type of loss can lead to prolonged grief and challenges in caregiving.
Impact of Social Movements: Social movements and societal changes can also lead to ambiguous loss. For instance, communities affected by systemic racism may experience a loss of safety and identity, which is difficult to address due to its abstract nature.
Global Crises: Events like natural disasters, political unrest, and pandemics can create situations of ambiguous loss, where individuals lose their sense of normalcy and security without a clear endpoint.
Coping Strategies
Coping with ambiguous loss requires unique approaches, as traditional grieving processes may not apply. Here are some strategies:
Acknowledge the Loss: Recognizing and naming the ambiguous loss can validate the feelings of grief and help individuals begin the healing process.
Seek Support: Connecting with others who understand the experience, such as support groups or therapists, can provide comfort and reduce feelings of isolation.
Practice Self-Care: Engaging in activities that promote well-being, such as exercise, mindfulness, and hobbies, can help individuals manage stress and maintain resilience.
Create Meaning: Finding new ways to create meaning in life, such as through art, community involvement, or personal growth, can help individuals navigate the uncertainty of ambiguous loss.
When to Seek Professional Help
If you find that the feelings associated with ambiguous loss are overwhelming or persistent, it may be beneficial to seek professional help. Therapists trained in grief and loss can provide support and strategies tailored to your specific situation.
At Summit Family Therapy, we understand the complexities of ambiguous loss and are here to support you through your journey. If you're struggling with unresolved grief, consider reaching out to our team for guidance and assistance.
Sources
Boss, P. (1999). Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief. Harvard University Press.
Kucukkaragoz, H., & Meylani, R. (2024). Ambiguous losses and their traumatic effects: A qualitative synthesis of the research literature. Batı Anadolu Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 15(2), 721-755.
Ahmed, A., & Forrester, A. (2025). Mental health challenges of enforced disappearances: A call for research and action. International Journal of Social Psychiatry.
Danon, A., Dekel, R., & Horesh, D. (2025). Between mourning and hope: A mixed-methods study of ambiguous loss and posttraumatic stress symptoms among partners of Israel Defense Force veterans. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 17(4), 795-804.
Testoni, I., et al. (2023). Ambiguous loss and disenfranchised grief in formal care settings: A study among dementia caregivers. Journal of Aging Studies, 61, 100986.
Kor, K. (2024). Responding to children's ambiguous loss in out-of-home care: A qualitative study. Child & Family Social Work, 29(1), 72-80.
Mac Conaill, S. (2025). Long-term experiences of intrapersonal loss, grief, and change in people with acquired brain injury: A phenomenological study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 47(5), 1012-1020.
Zasiekina, L., Abraham, A., & Zasiekin, S. (2023). Unambiguous definition of ambiguous loss: Exploring conceptual boundaries of physical and psychological types through content analysis. East European Journal of Psycholinguistics, 10(2), 182-200.
Breen, L. (2025). 'Few people thought grief was a worthy topic': Reflections on two decades of research in hospice and palliative care. The Australian Research Magazine.
Coping with COVID 19: Is My Current Sadness Really Grief?
Are you having trouble identifying your feelings during the COVID 19 pandemic? You might be experiencing grief. In a recent Harvard Business Review, foremost expert on grief and author David Kessler, states there is a 6th stage of grief. Kessler co-wrote with Elisabeth Kubler-Ross about the 5 stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. In Kessler’s new book, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief, he says that after acceptance stage there can be meaning. He is also the founder of www.grief.com.
Are you having trouble identifying your feelings during the COVID 19 pandemic? You might be experiencing grief. In a recent Harvard Business Review, foremost expert on grief and author David Kessler, states there is a 6th stage of grief. Kessler co-wrote with Elisabeth Kubler-Ross about the 5 stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. In Kessler’s new book, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief, he says that after acceptance stage there can be meaning. He is also the founder of www.grief.com.
Kessler states that:
We are feeling a number of different griefs, it feels like the world has changed and it has. We are hoping it’s only temporary but it doesn’t feel that way. There’s a loss of normalcy; fear of economic toll; and the loss of connection. We are not used to this kind of collective grief in the air.
We may also be feeling anticipatory grief because the future is uncertain. Typically, this happens with an impending death or receiving a dire diagnosis. Anticipatory grief is confusing. We know there’s potential for bad things to happen. We sense a loss of safety, but we can’t see it. We no longer feel safe.
It’s important to understand that there isn’t a map for grief or for the grieving. People manage their grief in different ways and in unpredictable timelines. I won’t get the virus—denial. I have to miss my activities and stay home—anger. If I social distance for two weeks, I’ll be fine—bargaining. Will this ever end? —sadness. Ok, I have to figure this out—acceptance. We find power in acceptance.
Unhealthy anticipatory grief is really anxiety about the unknown. We imagine future worst-case scenarios. We don’t want to dismiss this anxiety. The goal needs to be finding balance in the things you are thinking. Not everyone who gets sick, will die. By staying in the moment, being mindful, you can calm yourself. Name five objects in the room. Breathe. I’m okay.
Let go of what you can’t control. Be compassionate. Be patient. People aren’t their “normal selves right now.” The most troubling part of this pandemic is the open-endedness of the situation. This is temporary even though it feels like forever.
Kessler identifies the sixth stage as finding meaning after acceptance. We want/need to find meaning in suffering. This might look different to different individuals, groups, and societies depending on their circumstances and experiences.
Take time to feel your emotions, name them and allow them to move through you. Leave the “would of, could of, should of” out of your feelings.
Most of us tend to identify grief in relation to a death. Grief can also be experienced from any loss —loss of relationship, loss of job/career, loss of home, loss of financial security, loss of a pet, and loss of a dream.
If you or someone you know is struggling with grief, it’s important to seek out professional help with a qualified therapist. What has been your hardest loss to cope with?
Resources
Berinato, S. (2020, March 23). That discomfort you’re feeling is grief. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief