The 5 Stages Of Grief: The Process & The Journey to Acceptance & How to Cope

The 5 Stages Of Grief: The Process & The Journey to Acceptance & How to Cope

Published On: September 2, 2021

Enduring the loss of a loved one or friend is never an easy road. Still, death forms part of life and with the grief comes many other emotional things. Some steps in the grieving process are worse for certain people than they are for others. Either way, the grieving process happens to all who lose a loved one.

Understanding the 5 stages of grief

Nobody can escape grief, but there are ways to cope once you understand the stages. Grief takes time, and the amount of time is not the same for everyone.

The 5 stages of grief include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The journey to acceptance can be gruelling, and it isn’t easy.

1 – Denial

When overcoming denial, there has to be the ability to manage or deal with it. Being in a state of shock makes it hard to believe that the person who once was always around is suddenly gone. Adapting to this new normal is hard and with it comes denying the fact that they are no longer here in person.

We long for the ones we have lost. With grief comes a reoccurring pain and hurt. In essence, some days are better than others, but we long for those who have gone.

2 – Anger

Anger during grief is another common emotion that cannot be skipped. We may feel angry and want to blame whoever is responsible. Was it our fault? Was it someone else’s? Anger may even be directed at the departed person for leaving you the way they did. And anger may include the fact that there is no way to control the situation. Just like denial, anger comes with the process.

Not processing the anger can lead to resentfulness and emotions that can affect other aspects of your life.

3 – Bargaining

Bargaining during grief happens because of all the emotions and stress revolving around the process. What did I do to deserve this? Why did this happen? Understanding the stages of grief and the way you feel during these stages helps with the healing.

4 – Depression

One of the most familiar feelings or stages during the time of grief is depression. Since the departure of your dearest, nothing is the same, and nothing will go back to the way it was before. For some people, grief may split families, and when dealt with through grief counselling, it could bring families closer together.

Being depressed during grief is different for everyone, too, just like the whole grieving process is.

5 – Acceptance

Acceptance is the final stage of grief. It is here when we learn to accept things the way it is. We can’t change it, and we must carry on living to the best of our ability. As Queen Elizabeth II once said, “Grief is the price we pay for love.” Indeed it is so, but when we deal with the process correctly with professional counselling, we can move on to lead a humble, fulfilling life.