Grief is different for everyone who experiences it, but in the 1960s Elizabeth Kubler-Ross outlined five stages that a person will typically go through to one degree or another as they feel the loss of a loved one. Some people will progress through these stages in order, while others will jump around and go back and forth a couple times before moving to the next. There is no right way to grieve, so people experiencing loss are advised to do it the way that feels right to them.
Denial
When a person hears of the death of a loved one, they often enter a denial state, in which their brains don't want to accept the loss. They feel shocked and numb as they process this information and often wonder how they will continue living, especially if the death is sudden. Denial is a survival mechanism employed by the brain to help a person come to terms with the loss.
Anger
Anger helps healing from a loss because it allows you to direct your emotions, giving you a sense of control. Anger could be aimed at doctors, other family and friends, yourself or the person who has died. Many people also feel anger towards God for taking the person from them. You may also feel anger at how things have changed due to the death.
Bargaining
With the loss of a loved one, many people will bargain with God or themselves by being willing to do anything if it means they could get this person back or stop the pain they feel from losing that person. This stage consists of the "what-ifs," such as whether they could have done anything to stop a person's death. This can include finding medical problems sooner, seeing the warning signs in a suicide, or wondering what would happen if the person had taken a different route in cases of car accidents.
Depression
The depression that stems from the death of a loved one is not a sign of mental illness, but a sign that you are processing your grief. This stage can last awhile and will cause you to feel a sense of emptiness inside. Recovery from this depression can be slow and can often get better and then worsen again several times before it is gone.
Acceptance
Acceptance entails gaining hold on a new reality and learning to live with the way life is going to be from now on without a loved one. This step can be a slow process because people typically want things to go back to the way they were before the death. People will find new ways to live life that will give them hope that they will survive the loss.
