They often tell us, “Time heals everything.”
But there is a kind of grief that resists time—
grief that stays heavy in the chest even months or years after the loss.

This is what psychology calls Complicated Grief,
a form of trauma linked to loss.

What is complicated grief?

It is a prolonged state of grief that disrupts daily functioning,
where a person remains stuck in the moment of loss,
unable to absorb what happened or adapt to it.

The loss may be:
* someone we love
* a role we used to occupy (parent, partner…)
* health we once had
* a dream that collapsed unexpectedly

How do we distinguish between normal grief and complicated grief?

Normal grief:
* gradually changes over time
* allows moments of joy
* doesn’t completely impair work or relationships

Complicated grief:
* stays equally intense for long months
* is accompanied by guilt or shame
* isolates the person from life
* appears as intense anger, denial, or the feeling that “a part of me died”

Why does grief sometimes persist?

* deep emotional attachment to the lost person
* sudden or traumatic loss
* no chance for proper goodbye
* history of previous trauma
* lack of real social support

How can we deal with complicated grief?
    1.    Acknowledge the reality of your pain:
You’re not “overreacting”—you’re hurting.
    2.    Express grief safely:
Crying, writing, talking to a safe person.
    3.    Let loss be part of your story, not the whole story:
Loss is a chapter—not your entire life.
    4.    Seek professional help:
Especially if grief turns into emotional paralysis.

Rafah… a space to hold your grief without judgment

At Rafah, we see grief as part of being human.
We don’t silence it; we walk with it—
until the open wound becomes a scar that no longer hurts the same.

Through sessions, we help clients:
* understand the meaning of their loss
* release guilt or self-blame
* rebuild a life where love still exists, even with absence

In conclusion

No one has the right to decide how long your grief should last.
But you can choose not to walk through it alone.
With time, grief may not disappear—
but it learns to walk beside you, not on your chest.