The 5 Stages of Dealing with Grief

Subjects like death and grief are rarely ever spoken about, however, the prospect of these moments happening during our life is inevitable. Just as we are all born into this world, we must also leave it. Dealing with loss is never an easy task, however, it is something that we must all go through.  

There are various stages involved in dealing with grief and although the process is long and tiresome, the final stage of this journey is acceptance. If you are currently dealing with a loss, or you know someone who is going through a similar situation and you wish to help, here are the five stages of dealing with grief.  

Denial  

 Nobody wants to believe that a person we love is no longer on this earth. Denial is a normal reaction that we have when dealing with grief. Our emotions are so overwhelming that we cannot even comprehend or rationalize them – so it simply can’t be true.  

Anger  

The second stage of dealing with grief is a wave of immense and unexplainable anger. We may find ourselves taking out our anger on those who we love the most, this could be friends, animals, or family members. The feeling of anger stems from the fact that this person is no longer with us, however, many times there is no one to blame.   

Bargaining  

This stage can also be associated with feelings of guilt. Your mind will play out every possible scenario that ‘could have’ happened ‘if only’ you had done something about it sooner. This is also known as trying to bargain. We torture ourselves into thinking that something could have been done differently but that is not the case.  

Depression 

Dealing with grief is extremely difficult, but don’t try to confront this all by yourself, instead, try communicating your loss to others. One of the most valuable things we can count on is the support of our loved ones whilst we mourn a tragic event.  

Acceptance  

The process of grief finally comes full circle and rather than denying the loss, you begin to accept it. This doesn’t make it any easier, nor does it mean that you no longer care about the loss. It simply gives you the opportunity to make your peace, to accept what has happened, and to cherish the times you were able to spend with that special someone.  

At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong way of dealing with grief. Everyone will experience this differently. The most important thing that you can remember during this time is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It may not be entirely visible at the moment, but as time elapses you will gain a new perspective about the meaning of both life and death. Life is beautiful but also cruel, make sure you live yours to the fullest and that you honor the legacy of your loved ones by doing so.