The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous with Dr. Pauline Boss

Crying Out Loud with Dr. Laura Berman · Jul 30, 2026 · 45m

Some losses come with a funeral. People bring food. They hug you. They say, "I'm so sorry for your loss." Some rituals help you begin to make sense of what has happened.

But some losses don't look like loss at all.

They're the kind that keep you awake at night, staring at your phone, wondering if it will ring. They're the kind where your child is still alive, but addiction has taken so much of who they used to be. Or where your husband or wife still sits across from you at the dinner table, but Alzheimer's has slowly stolen the person you spent your life building memories with.

You find…