A client experiencing a tremendously stressful situation says, "My baby was diagnosed with terminal cancer 2 months ago. I'm eit
her crying or walking around like I'm in a dream. I can't believe this is happening. What did we do to deserve something so horrible? The doctors can transplant almost every human organ, but they can't stop my baby from dying. I'm so angry. Most days I just want to take my child and run away." The nurse determines that the client is mainly expressing what?
Anticipatory grief is an intellectual and emotional response to a potential loss. Signs include a sense of disbelief and numbness. Emotions swing from sadness to anger. Individuals express the desire to avoid the situation by running away and an intense feeling of anger toward the medical community for failing to save their loved one. Anger, denial, and avoidance are each a single part of the client's reaction.
