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Stages of Grief Recovery

A person can grieve over a death, loss of a job, a failed marriage, loss of a pet and even a lost sense of safety. When an individual experiences a loss, he goes through five stages of grief, known as the grief cycle: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

  1. Denial

    • When an individual is in the first stage of grieving, she denies the event is happening. She also may withdraw from social activities and her normal everyday routine.

    Anger

    • It is common for a person to lash out in the anger stage of grieving and question why the event has happened. The individual also may be angry at someone who has caused the pain, even if that person is deceased.

    Bargaining

    • Often, people will bargain with a higher power--for example, saying things like, "I will be a better person if..." in hopes of turning the events around.

    Depression

    • In the depression stage, an individual will have a feeling of giving up and not caring anymore. People who are in the depression stage of grief recovery often report a feeling of being numb.

    Acceptance

    • The last stage of grief recovery is acceptance. The individual accepts that the event has happened and makes a conscious decision to move on.

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