Every human being navigates through life by managing, among other things, continuous multi-layered frustrations. Some manage small and large losses quite well, while others struggle to cope with them.
Grief is the response to a loss, but an unacknowledged loss leads to 'nepenthe,' meaning that which does not allow for mourning. The developing and evolving psychic instrument, the internal psychological reality and its relationship with the external, their interactions during the various developmental stages of a person, and their connection to loss and grief are the main themes that are explored in this volume.
Through these themes, questions are investigated such as: How does an early and immature Ego navigate from the early years of life by integrating internal and external experiences that operate and participate within the framework of pleasure-displeasure? Does the infant, toddler, or adolescent grieve, and how do they cope with the loss of the object?
