Why do we crave closure?

Closure can feel like the ultimate solution to help us heal. But is it all it's cracked up to be?

Today, we learn about ambiguous loss — the type of grief that comes without closure.

We know navigating uncertainty is tricky, so what practical steps can we take to process this kind of loss?

A heads up, this episode touches on some heavy topics around loss and trauma.

Guests:

Carly DoberPsychologist

Dr Pauline BossProfessor emeritus, University of MinnesotaAuthor, Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic Author, Change and Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief

Credits:

• Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar
• Senior producer: James Bullen
• Producer: Rose Kerr
• Sound engineer: Roi Huberman

More information:

• The psychology of closure — and why some need it more than others
• Motivated closing of the mind: "seizing" and "freezing"
• Beyond dogmatism: The need for closure as related to religion
• Need for cognitive closure, tolerance for ambiguity, and perfectionism in medical school applicants
• Ambiguous loss

To explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.