Bereavment and Aging - Essay Example

Running Head: Bereavement and Aging Bereavement and Aging [Institute’s Bereavement and Aging The paper provides a basic description of the main ideas found within cognitive theory. Moreover, the paper explains the causes of bereavement and the ways that a therapist can take, in order to help older adults suffering from bereavement under the lights of cognitive theory. The paper concludes with the discussion of degree of helpfulness for the treatment of bereavement with regard to aging. Besides the ever-increasing physical and health problems, older people face many other mental and psychological difficulties as well. One of the psychological problems that are most common in older adults is that of bereavement and aging. Bereavement usually occurs when people lose their loved ones at the later stages of their lives. Most of the time, people recover from the loss, pain, and suffering of losing the dear ones (Stroebe, Stroebe, & Hansson, 1993) but if the grief extends to longer period of time accompanying many other problems, then effective treatment is a must. Experts have made extensive studies in this regard as to develop complete understanding of these mental and psychological problems and illnesses. Like many other theories, cognitive theory is an outcome of these extensive studies helping therapists to understand the complications involved with psychological problems like bereavement and aging. Cognitive theory explains and describes learning as the mutual relationship between the human behavior, surroundings and the environment, and those of the personal factors. It throws light on what exactly put impacts on the experiences of people, their surroundings, and conducts. Social Cognitive Theory explains the process of learning, what does affect learning, and the consequences these effects produce. Following this theory the learner of psychological and behavioral sciences, develops the skills and quenches the thirst of knowledge as the environment of learner holds the characteristics of converging with personal qualities and experiences. Evaluation of latest experiences of past takes place, this evaluation assists in guiding and informing the learner in order to learn the manner in which investigation should continue. The reason that social cognitive theory holds its basis on the construction of comprehensive understanding by a person, it is very beneficial and rewarding when used with interferences regarding developing the personality, behavioral sciences, and promoting health. The theory puts forward different ideas that help the learners of behavioral psychology to understand the causes giving rise to bereavement in older adults. Learning by observation is one of the major prospects of this theory. An individual can learn when it comes across people suffering from same problem or pain. It induces a certain current of not being lonely in this entire world, as the elderly adults after their losses have feelings of being lonely and left out. People by observing others can learn how do they feel and hear their stories that are more or less similar to them. The major cause of bereavement according to the cognitive theory is the fact that after losing loved and dear ones, a person starts having a feeling as if they are the only soul left in this world. The other ironic fact that is also one of the most critical causes of bereavement in older people is that in old people suffering from the loss of loved ones thinking process comes to a halt and reproduction of thoughts become almost impossible. Cognitive theory emphasizes on importance of reproduction of thoughts. This includes techniques to process the collected and observed information into immediate practice. Reproduction of thoughts greatly helps both the patients as well as the therapists. Cognitive theory supports and encourages reproduction, as it is most likely to revive the mental health of clients and improve effective healing process. Another important point that the cognitive theory underline on is the abilities related to self-efficacy. Learning or being acquainted to any knowledge source depends on the level to which, learners are capable of reflecting on the matter that they have learnt on their own virtue and vice, and success and failure. Bereavement causes an older adult to neglect, ignore, or forget about its own capabilities and skills. This forgetfulness eventually results in an apparent belief that the person has no abilities at all and is good for nothing. Moreover, it makes a person feel that it is not able to take part in any of the constructive abilities happening around. Therefore, cognitive theory emphasized greatly on recognizing and identifying the abilities of older adults, this increases self-belief, confidence, and plays an important role in developing a comprehensive understanding of this problem. Other major cause of bereavement is the fact that due to the sudden loss of loved ones, people more specifically the older adults find it difficult to control their emotions and give them a positive direction. Steering ones thoughts and emotions is a troublesome task that usually heals with the passage of time (Epting & Neimeyer, 1984). However, not everyone is compatible with automatic healing process and these people are most likely to become the victims of bereavement especially at the older age. This is the chief reason why cognitive theory accentuates on coping with ones emotions. The methodologies involved in coping with emotions should have the design that people can learn in stimulus and response surrounding compatible with self-efficacy and learning by observing. Another important aspect of cognitive theory is the fact that regulation of ones feelings and emotions that drives the stimuli of reactions and response is essential in order to resolve even the most complex psychological and behavioral situations and conditions. Self-regulation is a phenomenon that permits an individual about monitoring and controlling the reactions or responses when facing or made prone to externally forced or induced stimulus forces. Feedback is a signal that combines both the effects of the natural response and the forced stimuli and produces a unique result while working with an individuals ability of self-regulation and self-monitoring. This phenomenon permits and helps an individual as to make the behaviors more appropriate and the conducts that are more adequate. Cognitive therapy is a significant methodology or technique that recognizes and plays an important role in helping older adults suffering from bereavement as to fix the particular problems and mistakes in thinking of an individual. This thinking leads towards producing unhelpful, harmful, pessimistic, and distressed feelings and emotions. This depressed and distorted thinking puts a great impact on the way that people behave in particular surroundings and situations and consequently, make ways for dysfunctional, inadequate, and maladaptive reactions and responses (Beck, 1995). In providing treatment for elderly adults suffering from psychological problems such as bereavement, it is important to recognize that most essential prospect of interference is at the stage of person’s thinking. Not only thoughts but also change that may occur in thoughts, such as suppositions, critical and automatic thinking, and fundamental beliefs of a person, and the behaviors and conducts because of these changes. Moreover, different behavioral methodologies and approaches are detrimental in the process of enhancing the final output of treatment devised for elderly adults. Following these basic points, a therapist treating person with bereavement that has arose due to loss of the loved ones, should work efficiently on managing anger and feelings of anguish, providing excellent training on how to relax, minimize different phobias and fears that arise due to different situations, and provide training that accentuates optimism and positivity. In treating an elderly adult suffering from bereavement, the cognitive theory makes the therapist to adopt and recognize some fundamental stages and steps regarding quick and effective treatment of this problem. The first step towards healing according to this theory is realizing the extent and intensity of loss and reactions resulting from it. The second stage involves relaxation sessions in order to work with the emotional stress and pain, feelings of anguish, guilty consciences, and agony due to loss. The next step includes realization of attachment and bonding that the client had with lost people and helping them to reestablish attachments and connections with others resulting in good relationships with outside world. Next step is establishing a concept of ‘memories for life-time’ that identifies the beauty, significance, and quality of time spent with the lost people and then setting the same relationships with others as well. A therapist should also work on spiritual and moral prospects as directed by the theory. Cognitive therapy is very effective and effective in healing and treating elderly adults suffering from bereavement and feelings of loss. The overall duration of this healing and treatment process is very short as compared to other therapist methods used in this context. This simpler and easy model of cognitive theory and cognitive therapy has resulted as the most successful and flourishing method of psychological treatments specially for the elderly adults suffering from psychological problems like bereavement and feelings of loss (McCall, 2004). The reason behind this remarkable success is that vast and readily available literature and training opportunities open to therapist around the world. This is why cognitive therapy holds credit for being acceptable worldwide and therapist professionals around the world has adopted this method in treating problems like bereavement and loss. The paper concludes with the discussion that cognitive therapy is the most efficient and effective, quick, cost effective, and long lasting therapy devised for psychological problems and bears greater fruits for older adults suffering from bereavement. Finally, the researcher has put efforts to identify, explore, and scrutinize some of the noteworthy aspects of ‘Bereavement and Aging’ while analyzing such aspects from the standpoint of cognitive theory that provided a critical perspective to the paper. In addition, the researcher has endeavor to identify and utilize various researches related to the aging and cognitive theory, in this regard, it is expectation of the researcher that future studies on the same topic will provide a more inclusive, wide-ranging, and updated understanding of the Bereavement and Aging. It is anticipation of the researcher that above discussion will be valuable and fruitful for students, teachers, and professionals in better understanding of the topic. References Beck, J. S. (1995). Cognitive therapy: basics and beyond. Guilford Press. Epting, F. R., & Neimeyer, R. A. (1984). Personal meanings of death: applications of personal construct theory to clinical practice. Taylor & Francis. McCall, J. B. (2004). Bereavement Counseling: Pastoral Care for Complicated Grieving. Routledge. Stroebe, M. S., Stroebe, W., & Hansson, R. O. (1993). Handbook of bereavement: theory, research, and intervention. Cambridge University Press. Read More