The Five Stages of Grief

The Five Stages of Grief Stress Management Effects on Health Print The Five Stages of Grief Learning about emotions after loss can help us heal By Jodi Clarke, MA, LPC/MHSP twitter linkedin Jodi Clarke, LPC/MHSP is a licensed professional counselor and mental health service provider with over 20 years of experience in the field. Learn about our editorial policy Jodi Clarke, MA, LPC/MHSP Reviewed by Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW on January 26, 2020 facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, author of the bestselling book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Dont Do, and a highly sought-after speaker. Learn about our Wellness Board Amy Morin, LCSW on January 26, 2020 More in Stress Management Effects on Health Management Techniques Situational Stress Job Stress Household Stress Relationship Stress In This Article Table of Contents Expand Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance Types of Grief How to Help View All Back To Top When we lose a loved one, the pain we experience can feel unbearable. Understandably, grief is complicated and we sometimes wonder if the pain will ever end. We go through a variety of emotional experiences such as anger, confusion, and sadness. A theory developed by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross suggests that we go through five distinct stages of grief after the loss of a loved one: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance.?? Illustration by Emily Roberts, Verywell? Denial The first stage in this theory, denial can help us to minimize the overwhelming pain of loss. As we process the reality of our loss, we are also trying to survive emotional pain. It can be hard to believe we have lost an important person in our lives, especially when we may have just spoken with this person the previous week or even the previous day. Our reality has shifted completely in this moment of loss. It can take our minds some time to adjust to this new reality. Denial is not only an attempt to pretend that the loss does not exist. We are also trying to absorb and understand what is happening. We are reflecting on experiences we have shared with the person we lost, and we might find ourselves wondering how to move forward in life without this person. This is a lot of information to explore and a lot of painful imagery to process. Denial attempts to slow this process down and take us through it one step at a time, rather than risk the potential of feeling overwhelmed by our emotions. Anger it is common for people to experience anger after the loss of a loved one. We are trying to adjust to a new reality and we are likely experiencing extreme emotional discomfort. There is so much to process that anger may feel like it allows us an emotional outlet. Keep in mind that anger does not require us to be very vulnerable. However, it tends to be more socially acceptable than admitting we are scared. Anger allows us to express emotion with less fear of judgment or rejection. Unfortunately, anger tends to be the first thing we feel when we start to release emotions related to loss. This can leave you feeling isolated in your experience and perceived as unapproachable by others in moments when we could benefit from comfort, connection, and reassurance. How Anger Can Affect Your Health Bargaining It is common when coping with loss to feel so desperate that you are willing to do almost anything to alleviate or minimize the pain. Losing a loved one can cause us to consider any way we can avoid the current pain or the pain we are anticipating from loss. There are many ways we may try to bargain. Bargaining can come in a variety of promises including: I promise to be better if you will let this person live.God, if you can heal this person I will turn my life around.Ill never get angry again if you can stop him/her from dying or leaving me. When bargaining starts to take place, we are often directing our requests to a higher power, or something bigger than we are that may be able to influence a different outcome. There is an acute awareness of our humanness in these moments when we realize there is nothing we can do to influence change or a better outcome. This feeling of helplessness can cause us to react in protest by bargaining, which gives us a perceived sense of control over something that feels so out of control. While bargaining we also tend to focus on our personal faults or regrets. We might look back at our interactions with the person we are losing and note all of the times we felt disconnected or may have caused them pain. It is common to recall times when we may have said things we did not mean, and wish we could go back and behave differently. We also tend to make the drastic assumption that if things had played out differently, we would not be in such an emotionally painful place in our lives. How to Cope with Negative Emotions Depression During our experience of processing grief, there comes a time when our imaginations calm down and we slowly start to look at the reality of our present situation. Bargaining no longer feels like an option and we are faced with what is happening. We start to feel more abundantly the loss of our loved one. As our panic begins to subside, the emotional fog begins to clear and the loss feels more present and unavoidable. In those moments, we tend to pull inward as the sadness grows. We might find ourselves retreating, being less sociable, and reaching out less to others about what we are going through. Although this is a very natural stage of grief, dealing with depression after the loss of a loved one can be extremely isolating. Acceptance When we come to a place of acceptance, it is not that we no longer feel the pain of loss. However, we are no longer resisting the reality of our situation, and we are not struggling to make it something different. Sadness and regret can still be present in this phase, but the emotional survival tactics of denial, bargaining, and anger are less likely to be present. Types of Grief As we consider the five stages of grief, it is important to note that people grieve differently and you may or may not go through each of these stages, or experience each of them in order. The lines of these stages are often blurredâ€"we may move from one stage to the other and possibly back again before fully moving into a new stage. In addition, there is no specific time period suggested for any of these stages. Someone may experience the stages fairly quickly, such as in a matter of weeks, where another person may take months or even years to move through to a place of acceptance. Whatever time it takes for you to move through these stages is perfectly normal. Your pain is unique to you, your relationship to the person you lost is unique, and the emotional processing can feel different to each person. It is acceptable for you to take the time you need and remove any expectation of how you should be performing as you process your grief. Additional Models Although the five stages of grief developed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross is considered one of the most easily recognizable models of grief and bereavement, there are other models of grief to be noted as well.?? Each model or theory works to explain patterns of how grief can be perceived and processed. Researchers on grief and bereavement hope to use these models to provide understanding to those who are hurting over the loss of a loved one, as well as offer information that can help those in the healing professions provide effective care for those in need of informed guidance. The following are additional examples of theories related to grief. Attachment Theory and Grief Legendary psychologist John Bowlby focused his work on researching the emotional attachment between parent and child.?? From his perspective, these early experiences of attachment with important people in our lives, such as caregivers, help to shape our sense of safety, security, and connections. British psychiatrist Colin Murray Parkes developed a model of grief based on Bowlbys theory of attachment, suggesting there are four phases of mourning when experiencing the loss of a loved one:?? Shock and Numbness. Loss in this phase feels impossible to accept. Most closely related to Kübler-Rosss stage of denial, we are overwhelmed when trying to cope with our emotions. Parkes suggests that there is physical distress  experienced in this phase as well, which can lead to somatic (physical) symptoms.Yearning and Searching. As we process loss in this phase, we may begin to look for comfort to fill the void our loved  one has left. We may try to do so by reliving memories through pictures and by looking for signs from the person to feel connected to them. In this phase, we become very preoccupied with the person we have lost.Despair and Disorganization. We may find ourselves questioning and feeling angry in this phase. The realization that our loved one is not returning feels real, and we can have a difficult time understanding or finding hope in our future. We may feel a bit aimless in this phase and find that we retreat from others as we process our pain.Reorganization and R ecovery. As we move into this phase, our life feels more hopeful. We may begin to feel like our hearts and minds can be restored. As with Kübler-Rosss acceptance stage, this phase of reorganization and recovery does not mean that we will not still feel sadness or longing for our loved one. However, this phase offers us a place of healing and reconnecting with important people in our lives for support. We find small ways to reestablish a sense of normalcy in our lives on a daily basis. How to Help Avoid Rescuing or Fixing It can be so difficult to know what to say to someone who has experienced loss. We do our best to offer comfort, but sometimes our best efforts can feel inadequate and unhelpful. One thing to remember is that the person who is grieving does not need to be fixed. In our attempts to be helpful, we tend to try to rescue people from their pain so they will feel better. We provide uplifting, hopeful comments or even try to offer them humor to help ease their pain. Although the intention is positive, this approach can leave people feeling as if their pain is not seen, heard, or valid. Dont Force It Another method people often use that tends to go wrong is forcing people to talk about their pain when they are not ready. We want so much to help and for the person to feel better, so we believe that nudging them to talk and process their emotions will help them faster. This is not necessarily true, and it can actually be an obstacle to their healing. Make Yourself Accessible One of the most helpful things we can do is to offer space for people to grieve. In doing this, we are letting the person know that we are available and accessible when they are ready to talk. We can invite them to talk with us, but remember to provide understanding and validation if they are not ready to talk just yet. At that point, you can remind them that you are available when they feel ready and not to hesitate to come to you. A Word From Verywell It is important to remember that everyone copes with loss differently. While you may find that you experience all five stages of grief, you may also find that it is difficult to classify your feelings into any one of the stages. Have patience with yourself and your feelings in dealing with loss. Allow yourself time to process all of your emotions, and when you are ready to speak about your experiences with loved ones or a healthcare professional, do so. If you are supporting someone who has lost a loved one, remember that you dont need to do anything specific, but allow them room to talk about it when they are ready. Making Life Decisions After Experiencing Loss