What is Grief?
When you experience the loss of a loved one, expressing your grief can be emotionally challenging. The pain can often feel overwhelming and there is no right or wrong way to cope with the loss. However, with healthy ways of dealing with the pain and giving your self time to heal, it could help ease the feeling of sorrow.
Stages of Grief
- A well known Psychologist introduced five stages of grief. Although, there is no systematic way of experiencing these stages. The experience is a personal journey where each stage may vary in the amount of time spent on it and may also be visited more than once or not visited at all.
Stage 1
- Denial – The refusal to accept the reality of the situation. It’s a natural response and a way of defending yourself from dealing with the traumatic experience. Eg. This can’t be happening to me.
Stage 2
- Anger – Individuals may experience anger towards themselves or people around them, especially people they are close with. They need someone to blame and emoting anger feels like the only way. Eg. Who can I blame?
Stage 3
- Bargaining – People may attempt to bargain with the God they believe in. When facing less severe issues, they may also try to negotiate an agreement such as, ‘Can we still be friends’, after a breakup.
Stage 4
- Depression – The constant feeling of helplessness, sadness, regret or even anger may be felt at the realization of losing a loved one. However, the intensity of emotions felt may vary according to the person’s situation. Eg. I am too sad to do anything.
Stage 5
- Acceptance – When you are at peace and come to terms with the situation, as well as, experience a sense of emotional detachment. Eg. I am at peace with what has happened.
