Set in a city full of life, vibrancy, and people, one man gradually backed into the dark corners of his memories and pain due to his silent complex grief.
This case dwells on the story of Anup Kumar Nair, a 55-year-old man who isolated himself in his flat in Navi Mumbai for three years. His only contact with the outside world was through ordering food online. This tragic case reflects the deep psychological impact that unresolved and complicated grief causes. Additionally, it also highlights a significant contradiction of how people like Nair can remain unnoticed amid the urban, busy and fast-paced life. (Singh, 2025).
Anup Nair was a dedicated computer programmer who faced the devastation of losing multiple members of his family. From lost his brother to suicide 20 years ago, followed by the death of both his parents in the last six years, which led to his descent from grief to depression and complete withdrawal. After three years of total isolation and loneliness, Nair’s alarming situation was noted by an altruistic individual in his society, who then notified the social workers of the Social and Evangelical Association for Love (SEAL) (Singh, 2025).
A Grief That Seemed to Not End
Although Anup Nair’s case is tragic, it offers critical insight into the psychological effects of death and bereavement. Grieving is different for everyone. While some people can cope after experiencing loss and emotional distress, others may develop into a severe depressive stage marked by complicated grief. Complicated grief affects about 10% of individuals who experience grief and often lasts for over six months, disrupting daily life. Anup Nair was a victim of such a form of grief as he happens to show symptoms like feelings of worthlessness and numbing, lack of meaning and purpose in life, a sense of helplessness, absence of socialising, etc. (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). Nair’s three-year isolation reflects an internal collapse with its roots in deep emotional and mental trauma.
A Community That Almost Didn’t Notice
What was even more disturbing than the isolation of Anup Nair was the fact that no one noticed that he was isolated. Even in a full residential complex, over three years, no alarm bells went on until one neighbour panicked and approached SEAL (Singh, 2025). This is the cost of psychological disruptions of fragmented urban communities where social ties are insignificant and emotional presence is lacking (Roberts, 2023). It highlights the bystander effect or the diffusion of responsibility, a social phenomenon when individuals feel a decreased sense of personal responsibility to act or help, believing someone else will intervene (Cherry, 2023). This might have played a huge role in the delay of Nair receiving help.
The paradox of loneliness in urban contexts is revealed in this case. This emphasises that despite the presence of people, a person may feel completely invisible (Haas, 2024). This invisibility might have contributed to Nair’s extreme withdrawal. Without any significant community connections or support networks, his loss was stronger and encouraged his silence even more and making assistance impossible to reach out.
Rebuilding the Self: Psychological Rehabilitation
Individuals like Anup Nair need more than just food and sleep for complete recovery. Psychological rehabilitation is a significant element in resolving complex grief and being more integrated into society.
1. Complicated Grief Therapy:
Complicated Grief therapy is an accumulation of multiple therapies that can help the bereaved come to terms with the loss and gradually move on. It includes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which allows the bereaved to acknowledge the negative feelings to help the individual focus on healthy routines. Group therapy is also another aspect of CGT that is effective, because it provides the person with peer support and a sense of belonging, making him/her feel they are not the only one grieving (Gupta, 2024).
2. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
CBT entails identifying the negative thought patterns, such as feeling hopeless or worthless and substituting them with positive thoughts that can lead to positive behaviours and actions (Gupta, 2024).
3. Occupational Therapy
Grieving individuals may experience occupational imbalance. Occupational therapy focuses on the reconstruction and restoration of everyday healthy routines by developing coping strategies and rebuilding structure (Dahdah et al., 2019; Ramano et al., 2022).
4. Social skills training (SST)
SST is a behaviour therapy that aims at enhancing the social skills of bereaved people. It may assist people such as Nair in the reconstitution of interpersonal communication skills, emotional regulation, and coping strategies (Beidel et al., 2014).
5. Medications
In some cases of severe depression caused by bereavement, psychiatrists may prescribe medications like Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This is most effective when done alongside grief therapy (Bui et al., 2012).
Anup Nair’s case is not simply a personal tragedy, but it’s an indicator of what may happen when grief is undetected and when communities forget to reach out. His story discloses the overlap of unresolved grief and isolation by society. Although Nair is rescued now, thousands of others are suffering behind closed doors in silence. Awareness of signs of mental distress, restoring community empathy and increasing access to mental health are no longer optional but rather are necessary.
FAQs
1. What are the symptoms of complicated grief?
Symptoms include an intense yearning for the deceased, persistent feelings of emptiness or loneliness, difficulty accepting the death, avoidance of reminders of the loss, and emotional numbness
2. How long does grief last, and when should I seek professional help?
There’s no set timeline for grief, as everyone experiences it differently. However, if your grief is significantly interfering with your ability to function, if you’re experiencing prolonged emotional numbness or anhedonia, or if you’re having thoughts of self-harm, it’s crucial to seek professional support.
3. How can we identify someone like Anup Nair before it’s too late?
People experiencing complicated grief or severe social withdrawal often show signs like prolonged absence from social activities, neglect of personal hygiene or home maintenance, lack of response to messages or calls, Visible emotional numbness, and many other symptoms. Paying attention to such warning signs may help spot such individuals and help them seek appropriate interventions
4. Who can you call for help if you suspect someone is in psychological distress or isolation?
Methods to help someone in psychological distress: Contact a local mental health NGO or helpline (like SEAL in Anup’s case), reach out to social services or welfare departments, if someone is unresponsive and you fear for their safety, notify the local police to conduct a wellness check
