Frequently Asked Questions
Is this check-in a diagnosis, or does it tell me I have complicated grief?
No. This is a free, self-reflection tool, not a clinical diagnosis. It cannot tell you whether you have Prolonged Grief Disorder in a medical sense — only a licensed professional can make that kind of assessment, and that assessment depends heavily on how long it's been since the loss. What it can do is give you a plain-language snapshot of how grief is showing up for you right now.
Is there a 'normal' amount of time to grieve?
No single timeline applies to everyone. Grief has no fixed schedule and looks different depending on the relationship, the circumstances of the loss, and the person grieving. This check-in asks about time since the loss specifically so your result can be read in context, not measured against a deadline.
I lost someone recently and scored high — does that mean my grief is 'stuck'?
Almost certainly not. The DSM-5-TR only considers grief a clinical concern when intense symptoms persist for 12 months or more in adults (6 months for children and teens). A high score shortly after a loss most likely reflects how fresh and enormous that loss still is, not a stuck pattern — this check-in is built so a recent loss cannot be scored as complicated grief.
I strongly relate to my results — what should I actually do next?
Start by treating your results as information, not a verdict. If it's been close to or beyond a year since the loss (six months for a child or teen) and the intensity hasn't shifted, a conversation with a therapist experienced in grief, ideally one familiar with prolonged grief or complicated grief treatment, is a strong next step. If your loss was more recent, ongoing support, a friend, a support group, a grief counselor, can still help even without any clinical concern.
Does a high score mean I'm grieving 'wrong'?
No. There is no wrong way to grieve. This check-in exists to help notice when grief may have become clinically stuck, a real, recognized, and treatable pattern, never to judge how intensely or how long someone grieves. Grief this intense is not a character flaw and not a measure of how much you loved the person you lost.
Why does this check-in ask how long ago the loss happened?
Because the DSM-5-TR's own criteria for Prolonged Grief Disorder are built around duration, not intensity alone: symptoms need to persist for at least 12 months after the loss in adults (6 months for children and adolescents) before they indicate a clinical concern. Without that context, an intense but very recent grief reaction could be misread as a problem when it's actually an expected part of early mourning.