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Dealing With Grief - The 5 Stages of
Grieving
By C. J. Harrison
Whether it's the death of someone you love, the loss of
a close friend, or even the end of a marriage, feeling
grief is a natural emotion. Although grief is painful,
it should not be viewed as a negative emotion. However,
there are both healthy and unhealthy ways that you can
deal with grief.
Grief is the natural results of any loss of something
that is dear to us, be it a loved one, a marriage, or
even a family home to a flood. People often react to
these life-altering events in various ways such as
sadness, denial, anger, and even depression.
In order to deal with grief in a healthy way, it's
helpful to understand the five stages of grieving:
1. Denial
The first stage, denial, is one that most of us are
familiar with since it's the first feeling one often
feels after losing someone or something dear to us.
Simply denying that the even has occurred is our initial
response to dealing with the loss.
2. Anger
The second stage, anger, typically follows denial and
can be a quite powerful stage. During this stage, a
person becomes angry over the loss. Sometimes the anger
will be directed toward the person who died, a third
party, or the anger can even be directed at yourself.
3. Bargaining
The third stage, bargaining, is where you try to figure
out ways to get back what was lost. If your grief is a
result of a death of a loved one, upon realizing that
there really is no way to get that person back, it can
lead to the fourth stage, depression.
4. Depression
The fourth stage, depression, is the stage where a
person feels deep sorrow and feelings of hopelessness
because there is no way to get back what has been lost.
This can lead to physical distress such as high blood
pressure, insomnia, and even loss of appetite. Emotional
release is important during this stage to ensure a
healthy recovery from the loss.
5. Acceptance
At the fifth stage in the grieving process, one begins
to accept that the loss has occurred. At this point, an
individual can begin looking for meaning in other
relationships and areas of life.
Regardless of your reaction to a loss, it is vital to
progress through the stage of grief. Unfortunately, it's
not something that anyone else can do for you. Only you
can accept what has happened and make a conscious effort
to deal with the loss in a healthy way.
As an editor for Big Barrel Bat and Wicker Lounge Chair,
the author reviews and compares dozens of supplies and
products. |
