Grief is painful under any circumstances, but traumatic loss and intense grief are different experiences altogether. When death comes suddenly through violent, shocking, or tragic events, the mind and body are thrown into intense distress that ordinary grief rarely matches.

Losing someone matters at any age, but the reality of teens and grief is often messy and misunderstood. Teens sit in a complicated in-between space—old enough to understand death but still developing the emotional tools to process it.

Weeks or months after a funeral, people may still ask how you're doing, but with a tone that suggests you should have moved on by now.  Almost like the world expects you to grieve on a specific timeline.

Both grief and depression are common human emotional experiences, characterized by sadness. They share similarities and may often be mistaken for each other to some degree.

Many people who experience a loss will typically notice a gradual decrease in the intensity of their pain in ensuing weeks and months. However, there are some individuals who will experience what is called “complicated grief.”