What is an Ambiguous Loss?

Connecting Empathic Helpers & Artists to Spirit

An ambiguous loss occurs when a relationship or connection that was significant to you ends, without a clear understanding or closure. “Ambiguous loss is a loss that remains unclear. The premise of the ambiguous loss theory is that uncertainty or a lack of information about the whereabouts or status of a loved one as absent or present, as dead or alive, is traumatizing for most individuals, couples, and families”(Boss, 2007).

Since, the details of the loss remain unknown, it is this uncertainty which prolongs the grieving process. You are left wondering, do I continue to hold on or let go? Many people hold out hope that the relationship or connection will return to normal, while others begin the letting go process.

A Disenfranchised Grief

Since this is not a clear cut type of loss, such as when a person dies from an illness, many in society do not consider these…

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