Author Includes Scholars’ Stories of Complicated Grief in a Theoretical Context

Publications

By Paul R. Pace

Eric D. Miller, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Kent State University in Ohio, has published numerous papers examining various aspects of how adults cope with and adjust to loss and other adverse events. Even with this expert knowledge, Miller said he experienced a profound loss when he had to euthanize his beloved 17-year-old dog, Pepper.

“Upon her passing, I told Pepper’s vet that my academic knowledge of loss did not mitigate the great pain I was feeling at that moment,” Miller said. “But with a little distance, I can now say that my knowledge of grief provides understanding … .”

Anyone can tell their stories of grief, and there can be great personal and social benefits to those who do, Miller explained. “However, it is uncommon for books to feature an anthology of scholars who are not only willing to share their stories of loss (but) also placing them in a larger theoretical framework with a particular emphasis on complicated grief,” he noted.

Miller said his NASW Press book, Stories of Complicated Grief: A Critical Anthology, aims to enhance readers’ perspectives. Another inspiration to edit the book, in part, was fueled by the then-growing debate as to whether the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders should feature a new condition known as prolonged grief disorder or complicated grief.

“This disorder has indeed been recently included in this book and many researchers applaud this decision,” he said. “However, some still suggest that labeling grief in such a way pathologizes it and may not fully recognize the many complexities associated with experiencing grief.”

This book and other NASW Press products are available at NASWPress.org