How to Deal With the Stages of Grief

Grieving is a normal response to the loss of someone or something you cared about. Many people go through five distinct stages of grief after a loss or a traumatic event. These stages, first named by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, include denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Recognizing the stages of grief can help you adjust to a loss. However, there is no way to accelerate or sidestep the process of grieving; grief is a healing process your mind needs to go through before it can move on.

Instructions

• 1

  Familiarize yourself with the steps of grief. Orienting yourself to emotions you may feel helps you cope with these feelings.

• 2

  Be patient with yourself. Grieving takes time. You might need weeks, months or years to recover from a loss. Everyone recovers at different rates, so don't worry if your grieving process differs from that of others.

• 3

  Take good care of yourself. Make sure you're getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Avoid using drugs and alcohol to cope.

• 4

  Avoid denying your emotions, even unpleasant emotions such as anger or shame. Burying your emotions slows the grieving process. If you can't be honest with friends or relatives about how you feel, talk to a grief counselor or write in a journal.

• 5

  See a doctor if you seem unable to move beyond the first four stages of grief to the fifth stage, acceptance. Some people experience depression after grief, which is characterized by fatigue, changes in weight, feeling hopeless and losing interest in activities you once enjoyed. Although depression is a normal stage in the grieving process, depression that does not go away may require medical attention.