These practices are generally considered adaptive when they help a person process the loss and continue with daily life. What therapists say about ongoing communicationTherapists do not usually treat talking to someone who died as a problem on its own. But clinicians still watch for distress that begins to interfere with daily life, since grief does not look the same for every person. But clinicians watch more closely when the pain stays intense and daily life begins to break down. The American Psychiatric Association describes prolonged grief disorder as intense and lasting grief that interferes with daily life after at least 12 months for adults.