5 Stages Of Grief

Grief is a feeling of extreme sadness caused by losing something or someone.

Grief is a complex emotional experience with ups and downs that can be difficult. Have you heard of the Kübler-Ross model? It explains the stages of grief, and how they can help us heal.

1. Denial: At first, it’s like your mind puts up a shield because it’s hard to believe what happened.

In this stage you might think life makes no sense, has no meaning, and is too overwhelming. You start to deny the news and, in effect, go numb.

2. Anger: You might feel really frustrated and upset, like a storm of emotions swirling inside.

During this stage, you may start thinking”Why me?” and “Life’s not fair!” You might look to blame others for the cause of your grief and may redirect your anger to close friends and family.

3. Bargaining: It’s like trying to make deals with fate, hoping you can somehow fix things.

In a way, this stage is false hope. You might falsely make yourself believe that you can avoid grief through this type of negotiation.

4. Depression: This stage feels like a deep dive into sadness and hopelessness.

You might not want to be around others or feel like talking, and you might feel hopeless. You might even experience suicidal thoughts, thinking “What’s the point of going on?”

5. Acceptance: Eventually, it’s not about the pain going away but more about realising the world has changed.

The last stage of grief identified by Kübler-Ross is acceptance. Not in the sense that “it’s OK my it happened’’ but rather, “It happened, but I’m going to be OK.”

Remember, everyone’s ride through grief is different—sometimes you loop back to a stage or skip around. It’s a unique journey, influenced by your own experiences, culture, and situation. Understanding that grief is a mix of pain and transformation shows how strong we are in our ability to love and heal.

Also, read about, 10 Ways You Can Help a Friend with Depression:- https://keyasmamma.co.in/index.php/2023/08/13/10-ways-you-can-help-a-friend-with-depression/