[1][2] This kind of loss leaves a person searching for answers, and thus complicates and delays the process of grieving, and often results in unresolved grief.
Experiencing an ambiguous loss can lead to personal questions, such as, "Am I still married to my missing spouse?," or "Am I still a child to a parent who no longer remembers me?".
[8] The term "ambiguous loss" was first used in the late 1970s by Pauline Boss, a researcher who studied families of soldiers who went missing in action.
[6] A physical ambiguous loss can occur across generations, such as the families of victims of the holocaust, and can cause traumatic distress as Posttraumatic stress disorder.
This can stem from having a traumatic brain injury and not knowing who they are, causing a lost feeling and uncertain identity issues.
[11] The grieving process for an ambiguous loss differs from regular mourning in that one is unable to gain closure due to unresolved grief.
[12] In cases of a psychological ambiguous loss, the grieving process can be especially difficult because of the inability to accept or admit that there is a problem and confront the situation in the first place to deal with the issue.
The grief becomes anticipatory due to the knowledge that the loved one's mental state will only become worse, so the grieving process can start very early.