Prolonged Grief Care in West Ashley, Charleston

Understanding Prolonged Grief Disorder

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) says that mourning does not call for mental health treatment in the majority of people. Sadness, tears and hard days can come and go for a long time, and that belongs to the ordinary course of losing someone. Prolonged grief disorder describes something narrower. The pain stays severe, runs well past the usual course, and makes home life, work or other important parts of your day hard to manage.

The APA added this diagnosis to the DSM-5-TR in 2022. That gave clinicians a common yardstick for separating the expected course of mourning from grief that remains severe and disabling.

People often describe a deep yearning for the one they lost, or a mind that keeps circling back to the death. Other signs the APA describes include a sense that a piece of you died too, steering clear of anything that proves the person is gone, going numb, and a heavy loneliness. Friends, hobbies and future plans may begin to feel out of reach.

Who Has a Higher Risk

The APA points both to the circumstances of the loss and to what a person brings to it. Risk goes up after a death that was sudden, violent or unnatural, and after a death in a setting such as an intensive care unit. Losing a child, spouse or partner raises it as well, as does having been very close to the person or leaning on them emotionally. A past history of depression, trauma or another mental illness can add to the risk, and so can having few people to turn to.

How Common Is Prolonged Grief Disorder?

The APA estimates that persistent symptoms of prolonged grief disorder affect 4 to 15 percent of adults who have lost a loved one to death. That is a wide range, and it is one reason a one-on-one conversation can tell you more about your own situation than any number can.

What an Evaluation Looks At

A diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder is made by a qualified clinician using the DSM-5-TR, the American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual. Your provider will ask about the person you lost, what has changed since then, and how recent weeks have felt.

In plain words, the APA explains that for an adult, the death took place at least a year ago, and several of the symptoms it describes (three or more) have shown up nearly every day for at least the past month. For children and teens the time frame is 6 months, although our practice sees patients ages 18 and older. The APA also says the grief outlasts what a person's social, cultural or religious community would expect, so please tell us what mourning looks like in your family and your faith.

You do not need to reach the one-year mark before asking for help. That time frame belongs to the diagnosis. It says nothing about when you are allowed to ask for support.

We also look for problems that can arrive alongside grief, such as depression and poor sleep. If you have had depression in the past, let us know, since the APA ties that history to a higher risk.

Treatment Options

Talk therapy based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has the APA's backing as an effective approach. One version, prolonged grief therapy, works on coming to terms with the death and building a life that carries on without the person. CBT can also ease the poor sleep that sometimes comes along with this kind of grief. The APA adds that online programs built around writing notes to the one who died have been effective too.

Our licensed counselors can talk with you about which kind of talk therapy fits, and we coordinate a referral when a grief-specific program looks like a better match.

The APA says no medication currently treats the specific symptoms of grief, although researchers are still studying the question. Depression is a separate matter. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says the majority of people with depression benefit from mental health treatment. If depression is part of your picture, your treatment options may include counseling and medication when indicated, decided jointly with the patient.

Outside of visits, bereavement groups and peers who have lived through a similar loss can make life feel less isolating, the APA notes. If the drive to an office feels like too much right now, a secure video visit lets you talk with us from home, anywhere in South Carolina.

If You Are in Crisis

Thoughts of suicide can come with this condition, and the APA ties them to its more severe forms. Please treat them as an emergency. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide or self-harm, call or text 988 right now to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It is free, confidential and open around the clock. If there is immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room now. Veterans and service members can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1. Hope Behavioral Medicine is not an emergency service, so please do not wait for an appointment or a callback.

Getting Care in the Charleston Area

Charleston County has about one mental health provider for every 214 residents, compared with one for every 437 across South Carolina. Our office is on Gardner Road in West Ashley, and we also see adults anywhere in South Carolina by secure video, so you do not have to wait for a local opening or take time off to drive.

We accept Medicare, most major commercial plans, and all South Carolina Medicaid managed care plans except Select Health (First Choice). New patients are often able to be scheduled within a week of requesting an appointment.

Sources

The facts on this page come from: American Psychiatric Association, Prolonged Grief Disorder (reviewed August 2025); American Psychiatric Association, DSM-5-TR fact sheet on prolonged grief disorder; National Institute of Mental Health, Depression (2024); CMS National Provider Identification file, 2024, via County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, 2025.

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Treatment Options

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