verdriet

Verdriet is a Dutch term for sorrow or grief, describing the emotional response to loss, disappointment, or adversity. As a fundamental human experience, verdriet ranges from a normal, transient mood to more persistent and impactful grief. It can include a mixture of emotions such as longing, sadness, anger, and guilt, as well as cognitive effects like intrusive thoughts or rumination, and physical signs such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, and reduced appetite. Cultural and personal factors shape how verdriet is felt, expressed, and managed, including mourning rituals, social support, and expectations about showing emotion.

Causes and triggers include bereavement, the end of a relationship, serious illness, injury, or major life changes. The expression and coping with verdriet vary across ages, with children and adults experiencing and processing loss differently. Coping strategies emphasize social support, talking about the loss, and engagement in routines or meaningful activities. Psychological approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, grief counseling, and meaning-making exercises can help some individuals cope with intense or prolonged verdriet.

In clinical contexts, grief that is unusually intense, persistent, and impairing may be described as prolonged grief disorder or persistent complex bereavement disorder, depending on the diagnostic framework. These conditions are characterized by ongoing longing and preoccupation with the deceased, difficulties re-engaging with life, and functional impairment lasting beyond what is typical for the situation.

See also: grief, mourning, bereavement, depression.