A survivor of a horrific motor vehicle accident has not returned to work and has spent ten months drinking alcohol and watching television. Which type of complicated grieving is being exhibited?

• A. Normal grief
• B. Delayed grief
• C. Exaggerated grief
• D. Masked grief

Answer: (C)

Exaggerated grief shows up when distress from a loss is intensely persistent and leads to behavior that harms functioning. In this scenario, the survivor has not returned to work for ten months and is coping through alcohol use and excessive television watching. Those actions are maladaptive ways of managing grief, and they interfere with daily life and responsibilities. The prolonged duration together with clear impairment indicates a grief response that has become exaggerated beyond normal adjustment, rather than simply delayed, masked, or typical grief.