Five Steps of Grieving Process

The five stages of grief were initially introduced as the five stages of dying. Noted researcher and psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross developed the five stages while working with terminally ill patients and outlined them in her book "On Death and Dying," published in 1969. Her work was thought by many to be ground-breaking at the time, and these five steps are still considered by most to be the standard stages of the grieving process.

Denial

• During the first step of the grieving process, most will experience feelings of denial and an unwillingness to accept the reality of losing a loved one. Feelings of disbelief about the situation are also associated with this. In addition, many people have described accompanying feelings of numbness and coldness during this time.

Anger

• As denial begins to fade, anger in variable forms will often take its place. Anger in the grieving process can range from mild to explosive, often depending on the circumstances of the loved one's death. You will feel angry and question why this tragedy has happened to you. Blame goes hand-in-hand with anger. Most will try to blame someone--medical professionals, other family members, strangers, God or even themselves--for their loved one's death. Anger may be projected at anyone, especially other survivors in certain situations. For instance, if your loved one died in an accident in which someone else survived, you will probably feel justified in projecting a great deal of anger toward that person.

Bargaining

• The bargaining phase is a hopeful period where some will try to make deals with God or some other higher power to reverse the situation. During this stage, many will promise positive change or sacrifice in return for their loved one returning to their life.

Depression

• For some, the fourth step of the grieving process can last quite a while. With depression, many will suffer loss of appetite and insomnia during this time. They will most likely want to isolate themselves and will not feel like interacting or having fun. They may experience some degree of guilt for outliving their loved one and this guilt will also prevent them from moving on with their own life. They may also experience thoughts of helplessness and suicide as a result of the overwhelming loss.

Acceptance

• During the final step of the grieving process, people begin to come to terms with the loss of their loved one. They will begin to recover from depression and make steps toward getting back to living their own lives. They will begin to interact with others and return to engaging in fun activities without feeling guilt. Acceptance is the most important phase of the grieving process, as it enables you to move on with life.