ABSTRACT
In both self- and other-loss, one's character structure will matter greatly. The intensity, magnitude, and very existence of chronic sorrow itself are predicated on how the loss is interpreted. Interpretations of the loss may vary during the course of a lifetime for the same individual. If the onset of chronic sorrow occurs after a person has had a full and meaningful life, the loss can be weighed in the context of that life. It will be interpreted differently from a loss that occurs when a person is just embarking on young adulthood or during a series of disheartening setbacks. A shocking loss can catalyze actions and provide opportunities to meet adversities heroically and authentically; loss and generativity are linked. Existing studies reveal differences between how men and women experience loss. When self-loss is primarily a loss of mental faculties, the impact on identity may be most severe, especially when there is an awareness of the eroding of the mind.
