Ambiguous Loss In Homesickness

College student, kids at camps, or families that have moved can become homesick. Homesickness is a type of loss known as an ambiguous loss. A loss that is not death-related and is not always recognized grief. Furthermore, homesickness can turn into a complicated grief without some supported help. In fact homesickness is a type of ambiguous loss of a person that is physically absent from there familiar surroundings but psychologically present with thoughts, memories and yearning for home. There is a loss of familiarity (bereavement), an initial response of separation (acute grief), a long term response of sadness, loneliness (integrated grief) and one may integrate the loss into their lives (mourning) by wearing something from the familiar area (home). …show more content…
The first type of ambiguous loss pertains to the physically absent but psychologically present. A good example of this would be a mother of a child that is missing (kidnap) but psychologically present. This brings no closure, because the child may be found.
The second type of ambiguous loss is of the physical present but psychologically absent. People may experience this type of loss with a family member that has Alzheimer’s disease. These people are physically there but their minds are not (p.8-10). However, there is a difference between ambiguous loss and a death-related loss. There is no closure such as a funeral, death certificate, or a cultural burial, so they cannot achieve the detachment for closure, causing frozen grief (Boss, 2000, p.10) As Boss (2000) noted that some Irish families that