Grief is one of the most powerful feelings you will ever experience. People grieve for various reasons. Many think the only heart-wrenching and life-altering grief is when a loved one passes away.
However, people can and will grieve over a variety of circumstances like the loss of a pet, having to move, being fired from a job, or going through a relationship change such as a breakup or a divorce.
Regardless of why someone is grieving, there are five distinct stages of the grieving process everyone must go through before they can truly get on with their life in what will be the new normal.
Denying What Has Happened
The first stage is denial. You deny anything bad happened. You tend to block out reality and attempt to live normally.
This is a stage marked with a very unclear view of reality. Yet it is a stage you need to pass through to eventually move on and get through the other stages.
Anger at Everyone, Everything, and the Situation
Right after denial, you become angry as you start to understand what happened. This anger is typically aimed at everyone and everything.
This is because you feel helpless and hopeless. You lash out in any way possible because you want to feel something besides the very distinct sadness associated with grief.
Bargaining To Regain Control
Once you hit the third stage, you become slightly desperate for a return to normalcy. This is where you start to bargain. You bargain with a higher power, yourself, others and anyone who could possibly make things better for you.
This is a very trying stage of the grieving process as the bargaining is always fruitless in the end. After all, you cannot bring back a loved one who has gone.
Feeling Depressed
The fourth stage is the one that can last the longest because it is where reality truly sets in. This is where many find depression a major part of their life.
Grief is not set by any time boundaries. The entire five-step process is one that varies for everyone. At times, feeling depressed can be detrimental to one’s health and regular functions as a person.
It can deepen and last much longer than usual requiring professional help to treat. It may be necessary to seek such help in order to recover and finally make it it through this stage so the last and key stage can be achieved.
Accepting What Has Happened
The last stage is the one all others work toward – acceptance. It is in this final stage where you will finally come to terms with what happened and learn to accept things as they are in the present.
This stage brings relief for many and for others, a little more sadness comes about as they finally grasp the severity and the infinite changes that have happened in their life.
You cannot rush any of the stages of the grief process as each is there to serve a specific purpose. This is why grieving is so personal and thus one can never compare their own grief to others.
The five stages are a mental and emotional journey you must make to truly get through tragedy, loss, and suffering in the best possible way so life can begin anew once again.
Today’s guest post was written by Jesse L., professional blogger for Hackard Law. Jesse earned a perfect 800 on the Math S.A.T. and is currently studying Computer Science at Stanford University.
