Grief vs Prolonged Grief Disorder: What’s Normal, When to Get Help, and What Evidence-Based Support Looks Like (Australia, 2026)
Written by: Therapy Near Me Editorial Team
Clinically reviewed by: qualified members of the Therapy Near Me clinical team
Last updated: 01/04/2026
This article is intended as general information only and does not replace personalised medical or mental health advice. Learn more about our Editorial Policy.
Content type: Health education (Australia)
Grief can be intense, messy, and unpredictable. Some people cry daily for weeks. Others feel numb. Some function at work but fall apart at night. None of that automatically means something is “wrong”.
But for a minority of people, grief doesn’t gradually soften or integrate with time. Instead it stays stuck—dominating daily life, relationships, sleep, and the ability to plan a future. That pattern is often described clinically as prolonged grief disorder (PGD) (Eisma 2023; Prigerson et al. 2022).
This article explains the difference between common grief reactions and prolonged grief, what to look for, and how Australians can access safe, evidence-based support.
Safety: This is general information, not medical advice. If you’re in immediate danger call 000. For 24/7 crisis support, contact Lifeline 13 11 14 (Healthdirect Australia 2026).
1) What “normal” grief can look like
Grief isn’t linear. People often move back and forth between:
- loss-focused moments (yearning, sadness, remembering), and
- restoration-focused moments (doing life tasks, returning to roles, building routines).
This “oscillation” is commonly referenced in modern grief models and is echoed in professional commentary for clinicians supporting grief (Australian Psychological Society 2024).
You can have strong grief and still be within a normal range, especially after:
- the death of a partner/child/parent,
- sudden or traumatic deaths,
- complicated relationships,
- multiple losses close together,
- caregiving exhaustion and anticipatory grief (Healthdirect Australia 2026).
2) When grief may be becoming “prolonged” or clinically significant
Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is now recognised in major diagnostic systems (ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR). A common benchmark is that the death occurred at least 12 months ago for adults (and at least 6 months ago for children/adolescents), alongside persistent, impairing symptoms (Eisma 2023; American Psychiatric Association 2022).
Signs that justify a clinical conversation
If many of these are present most days and are disrupting life, it’s worth getting assessed:
- persistent, intense yearning/longing or preoccupation with the person who died
- inability to re-engage in life roles (work, parenting, self-care)
- feeling life is meaningless or that you can’t imagine a future
- intense emotional pain that doesn’t ease with time
- strong avoidance of reminders, or the opposite—being unable to stop “living in the loss”
- ongoing impairment (social withdrawal, relationship breakdown, ongoing sleep collapse)
Griefline summarises PGD as grief that does not ease with time and interferes with day-to-day functioning and wellbeing (Griefline 2025).
3) Grief can look like anxiety or depression (and sometimes it is)
Grief commonly includes:
- sleep disruption
- appetite change
- reduced concentration
- guilt, anger, and irritability
- episodes of panic-like symptoms
Those can overlap with depression and anxiety, but PGD is not simply “depression in disguise.” That’s why quality assessment matters—so treatment targets the correct problem (Eisma 2023).
4) What evidence-based grief therapy looks like
There isn’t a single “grief script,” but there are evidence-based approaches for complicated/prolonged grief presentations.
The Australian Psychological Society notes that complicated grief treatment focuses on reducing loss-related symptoms while helping people rebuild relationships and personal life goals (Australian Psychological Society 2026).
In practice, evidence-based treatment often includes:
- psychoeducation about grief processes and “getting stuck” patterns
- structured work on avoidance (gently approaching memories/places/conversations you’ve been avoiding)
- support for meaning reconstruction and re-engaging with life roles
- addressing guilt, anger, and unresolved relationship issues
- strengthening social support and communication (including family-focused grief therapy where relevant) (Australian Psychological Society 2026).
What it should not look like: being pushed to “move on”, being told your grief is “too much”, or being rushed into intense memory work without stabilisation and consent.
5) When to get help sooner (even before 12 months)
Even if it’s early, seek support sooner if you notice:
- suicidal thoughts or self-harm urges
- heavy alcohol/drug use to numb grief
- inability to function (not eating, not sleeping, unsafe driving, missing work repeatedly)
- traumatic bereavement symptoms (intrusive images, intense guilt, panic, dissociation)
Healthdirect’s grief resources encourage getting professional support when distress is severe or functioning is significantly affected (Healthdirect Australia 2026).
6) Practical next steps in Australia
Step 1: Choose the right kind of support
- GP: good starting point for screening mood, sleep, risk, and referral pathways.
- Psychologist: for structured grief therapy and comorbidity work.
- Grief-specific support: for dedicated grief counselling and peer support.
Step 2: Use targeted grief services if you want low-barrier support
Griefline offers grief counselling resources and support services (Australian Government listing; Griefline).
If you prefer groups, Griefline also runs peer-supported bereavement support groups (Griefline).
Step 3: Bring a short “symptom and function” note to your appointment
Write down:
- who died and when
- your 3 biggest symptoms (e.g., yearning, insomnia, avoidance)
- 3 functional impacts (work, parenting, relationships)
- what has/hasn’t helped so far
This helps your clinician distinguish grief, PGD, depression, anxiety, and trauma responses.
7) FAQ
“Is it normal to still grieve years later?”
Yes. Many people carry grief long-term. The question isn’t “Do you still miss them?” but “Is grief still dominating your life and blocking functioning most days?” (Australian Psychological Society 2026; Griefline 2025).
“What if people are telling me I should be over it?”
That’s a common secondary wound. A good clinician focuses on your reality and functioning, not timelines or social expectations (Australian Psychological Society 2024).
References
American Psychiatric Association 2022, Prolonged grief disorder, American Psychiatric Association, viewed 5 March 2026, https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/prolonged-grief-disorder.
Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care 2024, Griefline (service listing), viewed 5 March 2026, https://www.health.gov.au/contacts/griefline?language=en.
Australian Psychological Society 2026, Grief, APS, viewed 5 March 2026, https://psychology.org.au/for-the-public/psychology-topics/grief.
Australian Psychological Society 2024, Helping clients ride the waves of grief, APS Insights, viewed 5 March 2026, https://psychology.org.au/insights/helping-clients-ride-the-waves-of-grief.
Eisma, MC 2023, ‘Prolonged grief disorder in ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR’, Current Opinion in Psychology (via PubMed Central), viewed 5 March 2026, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10291380/.
Griefline 2025, Understanding prolonged grief: when grief doesn’t ease with time, Griefline, viewed 5 March 2026, https://griefline.org.au/resources/understanding-prolonged-grief-when-grief-doesnt-ease-with-time/.
Griefline n.d., Grief support – You’re not alone, Griefline, viewed 5 March 2026, https://griefline.org.au/.
Griefline n.d., Bereavement support groups, Griefline, viewed 5 March 2026, https://griefline.org.au/get-help/bereavement-support-groups/.
Healthdirect Australia 2026, Grief and loss, Healthdirect, viewed 5 March 2026, https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/grief-loss.
Healthdirect Australia 2026, Understanding anticipatory grief, Healthdirect, viewed 5 March 2026, https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/understanding-anticipatory-grief.
Prigerson, HG et al. 2022, ‘Prolonged grief disorder diagnostic criteria—helping clinicians identify bereaved persons with maladaptive grief responses’, JAMA Psychiatry, viewed 5 March 2026, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2788766.
