Death and Dying, Life and Living Copyright ©1997 Brooks-Cole Publishing Co.

Glossary of Key Terms
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P

Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z


 A

active euthanasia
Taking committed or direct actions that result in the death of a dying person.
advance directives
Instructions concerning treatment actions one would want or not want in the event of being incapacitated or unable to participate in decisions.
AIDS
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, life-threatening illness caused by infection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

altruistic suicide
Suicide by an individual who is overintegrated into a society.

Alzheimer's disease
Degenerative illness of later life in which senility is a common symptom.
analgesics
Drugs which block pain.
anomic suicide
Suicide by an individual in a society which underregulates its members.

antibodies
Chemical structures produced by the body to fight an infectious agent.
anticipatory grief
Grieving and mourning reactions in response to the awareness of an impending loss.

ars moriendi
The 15th century European tradition of "dying well" and instructing the dying person how to face death.
assisted suicide
Suicide in which the means of death are provided by another person, who may attend the suicide.
average life expectancy
Average number of years lived by a group of people (usually those born in the same year).
awareness contexts
Patterns of social interaction between a dying person and others which differ based on how much each knows about the impending death.
 B
bereavement
The objective state or situation of being deprived of a loved one because of death.
bereavement overload
Situation (common in late adulthood) where individuals do not have time to grieve one loss before another one occurs.
 C
catharsis
The idea that an individual can reduce the influence of pent-up feelings by expressing them verbally or physically.
charnel houses
Buildings in which bones of the deceased are preserved following a period of time buried underground.
chronic grief
Prolonged grief reactions that do not appear to be leading toward healthy outcomes.
communicable diseases
Acute illnesses caused by microbes that can be transmitted from person to person.
complicated mourning
Responses that overwhelm an individual persistently, lead to maladaptive behavior or block progress toward satisfactory outcomes in mourning.
controlled death
A view in which society attempts to regulate death, to prevent it and to seek psychological distance from it.
coping
Efforts made by the individual to manage internal and external demands that tax or strain personal resources.
cremation
Practice of reducing the corpse to ash and small fragments by exposure to intense heat or flame.
 D
danse macabre
The "dance of death," a 15th century European art form which depicted skeletal corpses dancing, beckoning to the living and reminding them of the brevity of life.
death system
The more or less formal ways in which a society organizes and mediates death-related issues.
death-related practices
Patterns of communicating about death, caring for the dying, funerals and other rituals, and mourning behaviors.
degenerative diseases
Chronic conditions and illnesses that lead to the wearing-out of organs and organ systems.
delayed grief
A complication in which grief may be inhibited, suppressed or postponed, thus remaining unresolved.
denial
Active blocking-out of threatening thoughts or feelings (similar to repression).
developmental perspective
Viewpoint in psychology that emphasizes the significance of the life cycle, stages of behavior and processes related to maturation.
developmental tasks
Challenges that face individuals at different points in the life cycle, including the work required to move forward constructively and to mature.
disenfranchised grief
Complications in grief that occur when a loss cannot be openly acknowledged, publicly mourned or socially supported because the relationship, the loss or the griever are unrecognized.
disposition (of the body)
Methods of removing the body of the deceased from the society of the living.
durable power of attorney
Written document designating another person who is authorized to make decisions on one's behalf if one is unable to communicate one's own wishes.
dying trajectory
A curve used to describe the duration of an individual's dying process.
 E
ego integrity
The attainment of an inner sense of wholeness, generally later in life.
egoistic suicide
Suicide of a person who experiences a disintegrated or underintegrated society.
embalming
Replacement of blood and other bodily fluids with preservative chemicals in order to delay the decomposition of the corpse.
epitaph
Statement on a gravestone identifying (and perhaps commenting on) the corpse buried there.
estate taxes
Fees imposed by government on the transfer of property from a decedent to survivors, paid from the estate.
eulogy
Portion of a funeral or memorial service in which the positive aspects of the deceased's life are described.
euphemism
Substitution of a "pleasant" or "less offensive" word for one that is more blunt or direct in meaning.
euthanasia
Literally, a "good death." Used to denote steps taken to permit a less painful, hastened death or to prevent prolonged suffering.
exaggerated grief
Excessive and disabling ways of expressing grief, which may lead to irrational fears and anxiety.
existential issues
Questions pertaining to the meaning of one's mysterious existence in a universe that is difficult to comprehend.
extraordinary means of treatment
Extreme medical interventions meant to prolong life, with risk of greater suffering or burden.
 F
fatalistic suicide
Suicide by a person in a society which overregulates its members.
formal education
Organized programs of instruction or training, such as college courses, workshops or inservice training.
 G
grief
An individual's subjective response to loss, including affective, cognitive, physical, psychological, social, spiritual and behavioral manifestations.
grief counseling
Professional interventions or help for individuals with normal or uncomplicated grief.
grief therapy
Specialized professional interventions with individuals experiencing abnormal or complicated grief.
grief work
Tasks or challenges that face an individual who is attempting to cope with loss and mourning.
 H
Holocaust
The killing of millions of civilians by German Nazis in Europe during World War II because of their ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds.
homicide
The unlawful, intentional killing of another person.
Hospice
Social organization that specialize in palliative care and psychological support for dying and their loved ones.
 I
immortality
Belief in the on-going existence of the body or the soul after death.
informal education
Learning through activities of one's life, such as social interactions or work experiences.
inheritance taxes
Fees imposed by government on persons receiving inherited property, paid by the inheritor.
intestate
Having died without a will or last testament.
 J

 K
Kaposi's sarcoma
Splotchy-appearing tumors of the blood vessels in the skin or internal organs; associated with AIDS.
 L
life review
Process occurring in late adulthood where individuals reminisce, reflect on life choices, and try to resolve old issues in order to achieve a new sense of meaning, ego integrity and preparedness for death.
lifespan
Refers to the entire life of an individual, or the maximum age to which a species lives.
living will
Written instructions for a situation in which one cannot convey one's wishes about medical treatment (essentially the same as advance directives).
loss
To be deprived of something that is valued, particularly the end of a meaningful relationship or attachment.
 M
malignant neoplasm
Category of cancers that can be fatal if untreated.
masked grief
Symptoms or problem behaviors connected to grief, but not recognized by the individual as related to the loss.
memorialization
Commemorating the life that has ended.
morbidity
Frequency of diseases, illnesses and injuries among a group of people, usually noted as X per 100,000.
mortality patterns
Number of people in a particular group who die each year, usually noted as X per 100,000.
mourning
Behaviors used in coping with loss and grief, including the effort to incorporate loss and grief into ongoing living.
mutual pretense
Interactions between a dying person and others in which both know the reality of the situation, but neither will talk openly or honestly about it.
 N
Near Death Experiences (NDEs)
Thoughts, feelings and perceptual experiences reported afterward by some individuals who temporarily showed no external signs of life.
 O
ordinary means of treatment
Routine medical interventions without unusual risks, suffering or burden.
 P
palliative care
Interventions with the dying that aim to minimize distressing symptoms rather than curing the underlying cause.
passive euthanasia
Omitting or opting not to administer treatment in order to allow death to occur naturally.
pathological grief
Types of grieving that appear to be abnormal, unhealthy and contrary to successful resolution of mourning.
persistent vegetative state
Coma-like existence in which only lower brain stem activity can be detected.
pneumocystis carinii
A protozoan which causes pneumonia; associated with AIDS.
probate
Process of verifying a will, paying debts and distributing property to inheritors.
psychic numbing
A dazed or detached psychological state following the experience of a traumatic event.
 Q

 R
rational suicide
Suicide based on logical reasoning and the autonomous choice to end life, usually due to unendurable suffering.
RDS
Respiratory Distress Syndrome, a leading cause of death in newborns related to lung immaturity and breathing difficulties.
reincarnation
Belief in a cycle of births, deaths and rebirths due to laws of karma (one's good and bad deeds).
reintegration
Pulling together (again) the individual survivors, family members or social network disrupted by a death.
repression
Like denial, the process of avoiding or blocking threatening thoughts and feelings, even to the point of "forgetting" negative experiences.
resurrection (of the body)
Belief in the "raising-up" of a deceased body into a living body.
ritual
Patterns of activity defined by a social group to regulate behavior, especially in association with life crises.
 S
senescence
Referring to the late stages of life, that is, the process of "growing old."
senility
Cognitive or psychological confusion (also called dementia) that may be present in some older individuals with degenerative disease.
SIDS
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, a poorly understood cause of death in which a young infant dies while asleep.
spiritualism
Belief that individuals can exist in a supernatural state after death, and that contact with the living can be made in various ways. Popular in late 1800s, when "spirit photography" and seances fascinated society for a time.
stigmatization
To mark a behavior or person as socially undesirable, thus to create a social bias against individuals.
suicide
The intentional act of self-destruction.
support groups
Small groups that offer mutual support, assistance with social and practical concerns, and encouragement for self-help in response to loss and grief (and other issues).
 T
taboo
Act or topic for which solemn social prohibitions or penalties may exist.
tame death
A view of death as a natural, expected occurrence which one accepts calmly, perhaps with regret.
teachable moment
Unanticipated events that offer opportunities for useful insights and lessons.
thanatology
The formal study of death, dying, mourning and related behaviors and phenomena.
thanatos
Originally the Greek god of death, the twin brother of Sleep. Used by Freud to refer to a natural drive or instinct toward destruction, self-extinction and death.
transmigration
Belief that the soul passes from the body at death and can be reincarnated in another living body.
 U
uncomplicated mourning
Normal, healthy or appropriate responses to loss.
uncontrolled death
A view of death in which society exerts little regulation over death, thus death is a more common and familiar (but not necessarily better) experience.
 V

 W
will
Formal written statement of one's wishes concerning the distribution of one's property.
 X

 Y

 Z