Stages of Coping With Grief

According to the Kubler-Ross grief cycle, there are seven common stages of grief. Not everyone experiences or reacts to grief in the same way, and the time it takes to cope and overcome grief varies from person to person. Grief may cause physical symptoms as well as emotional difficulties. If you're experiencing prolonged grief or signs of depression, speak with your doctor or another health care professional about coping techniques or grief counseling.

Shock and Denial

• Shock may occur with but is not limited to sudden loss or tragedy. Not everyone goes through the shock stage, but common symptoms of shock include lack of emotion, disbelief and numbness. Shock may cause physical reactions such as paleness and breathing difficulties. Denial may occur with or without shock, and individuals going through this stage may pretend that nothing happened and continue with their daily routine.

Anger

• Anger as part of the grieving process may manifest itself as resentment towards circumstances, other people and even self. Anger is a normal response to grief and releases pent-up emotions. However, the National Cancer Institute warns that excessive bitterness and anger associated with death may be a sign of a complicated or prolonged grief.

Bargaining

• Grieving individuals may enter a bargaining stage where they try to avoid loss and prevent bad things from happening. Bargaining offers a sense of control. Guilt may accompany the bargaining stage when the individual questions what they can do, or could have done, differently to change an outcome.

Depression

• Depression may occur at any time during the grieving process, but it is common in the early stages of acceptance. Short-lived depression and helplessness is a part of mourning when a loss has occurred or when you anticipate a loss. However, the National Institutes of Health suggests medical help for severe grief lasting more than two months. Individuals with a history of depression may also benefit from medical help or counseling during periods of loss.

Testing and Acceptance

• The testing stage is when you start to see a light at the end of the tunnel. You may reach out for new things to do or re-introduce activities you avoided during earlier stages of grief. The last stage is acceptance. This stage is a gradual process and occurs when you accept the loss and realize that many outcomes are beyond your control. Even in situations where the loss is inexplicable or seems unreasonable, acceptance leads to recovery.