Understanding The 5 Stages Of Grief And Loss

by Inspiration4Living.com

Whenever we lose someone close to us or have to hear some tragic news about our own health and wellbeing, we go through the same 5 stages of grief.

No one is immune to the 5 stages of grief and to believe that you can manage to slip by any of the stages is a bit naïve and it could be harmful to your mental health and wellbeing to try.

The fact of the matter is that the five stages of grief are important to endure as they help you move from that seemingly immovable place in your heart and mind to getting back to the life you know before the tragedy came upon you.

Stage 1: Denial

At this stage in the 5 stages of grief, you will try to deny what has happened, or the news that you have received. If a loved one has passed or you have discovered that you have a terminal illness, you believe inherently that by denying this news it will go away.

Denial is one of the most difficult of the five stages of grief to move beyond. Hearing about the sudden loss of a loved one, for example, can leave us telling ourselves that it didn’t really happen, that it couldn’t have happened because we were just about to visit that person, or give them a call.

Stage 2: Anger

At this stage, we feel the anger set in. We are angry for what happened, we are angry with God or with someone else for what they did. The anger is a vital element of the 5 stages of grief because it allows us to get rid of some of the hurt and painful emotions we feel.

Stage 3: Bargaining

If you have ever found yourself within the five stages of grief before, then you have bargained. You might bargain for just a few more minutes with that person close to you who has passed, or you may try to bargain with God for more time if you discovered that you are going to die.

Bargaining is a way that we try to find any other way out of the news that has occurred. We don’t ever get the answer we want from bargaining, but it means that we are getting closer to closure.

Stage 4: Depression

This is perhaps the most dangerous stage in the 5 stages of grief. When we fall into depression, it can be difficult to feel as though life goes on. This is when people need a strong support system to help them get up every morning and get on with their life as best as they can.

Stage 5: Acceptance

Once you’ve reached the last stage in the five stages of grief, you have accepted the tragedy that has occurred. There is no hard and fast rule about how long it will take you to reach the last stage. For some people, it could be a matter of days. For others, it could be years. Each person will work through the 5 stages of grief at his or her own pace.

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