When you experience loss you may feel sad or angry and wonder if you will ever be happy again. These feelings characterize grief---a normal response to loss. Grieving varies from person to person, both in the way it manifests and in the length of time it takes to process. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, a psychiatrist, proposed five stages many people experience while working through grief. However, according to the Oregon Health & Science University, it is not necessary to experience all of these stages or to experience them in order as you work through the grieving process.
Denial
Denial begins either immediately following loss or immediately preceding loss when it becomes clear that the loss will occur. Finding it difficult to cope with the loss and wanting things to remain unchanged, you enter a period of disbelief. In this stage you convince even yourself that the loss is not happening.
Anger
Once you accept the loss as inevitable, you may naturally start to feel angry. Feeling that the loss is not fair or that something more could have been done to prevent the loss, you may feel angry toward the person you feel is responsible for causing your grief, or you may be angry at the world in general.
Bargaining
When you acknowledge the loss and do not feel anger, you may begin attempting to make deals. In order to remedy the loss or make it better, you may try to make a deal with God or with whoever you think has the power to influence the loss.
Depression
Moving through previous stages of grief often proves emotionally draining. You may soon be left tired, weak and sad. During this phase you may feel numb, as if the worst has happened and you will no longer allow yourself to feel and possibly be hurt again. You may also experience physical symptoms of depression, such as a changes in your sleep pattern or appetite. Extra care should be taken during this phase. Depression, even as a natural phase in the grieving process, has the possibility to become severe and may result in thoughts of suicide. If you have thoughts of self-harm or suicide, seek the help of a doctor or counselor immediately.
Acceptance
Acceptance may occur once feelings of sadness and anger have diminished. At this stage you may make adjustments to your life in response to the loss. Though you may still experience emotional responses to the loss, you can better cope with your feelings and are able to think of what you lost without such severe emotional reactions.
