Stages of Grief

Talking about grief is talking about something that is so personal it cannot be explained. Every one of us, whether young or old has experienced grief at some point in our lives. Grief can be expressed over the loss of a loved one or the loss of a relationship.

So what is grief? Grief is a very normal emotion or reaction that one experiences when there is loss of anything that is important to them. It could be death of a person, loved one or the end of a relationship. Though grief is not a medical condition, some people experience such complicated grief that is affects their physical and mental condition.

There are seven distinct stages of grief or the grieving process. These can be of varying degrees for different people. And whether you are convinced or not, grief is a part of the healing process. But remember that there is no fixed format in which the grieving pattern should flow; the stages can differ for different people. These stages are mentioned alphabetically.

Acceptance
this is an essential part of grieving. It is important for us to accept that loss has occurred, whether it is the loss of a loved one or the loss of a relationship. The fact is it is final. Where the death of a loved one is concerned, it is a permanent loss and one that is the most difficult to deal with. But there has to be acceptance of the loss for you to proceed to the next stage and to take a step forward in the healing process.

Anger
Anger is an essential part of the grieving process. Anger or rage is often the most severe when there is a break up, divorce or loss of a relationship. Very rarely is there anger towards a loved one who has died or is deceased. And in such a case anger is directed towards other people, like family members, doctors and other people involved.

Denial
Most say this is the first step in the grieving process, Denial! Most people cannot accept that fact that a relationship has ended or a person has died. Denial is the most natural way to deal with it; it is a defense mechanism.

Depression
Depression is a deep sense of loss and hopelessness. It is an emotional state of mind where you feel that nothing in the world is worth living for. Depression is a stage of grief that needs to be taken very seriously. Symptoms of depression include insomnia, lack of concentration and loss of appetite. Some people become so severely depressed that they require professional treatment, such a state of depression is called clinical depression, and this could also affect the physical health of a person.

Fear
Fear is a very critical stage in the grieving process, fear comes from a state of insecurity and arises in any situation of grief, be it death or end of a relationship. Fear is something that is most apparent in children who are suffering from grief.

Guilt
In the case of death or loss of relationship most of us suffer from guilt. We automatically think things could have been different if we had done things differently. But nothing is going to change what has happened and the sooner a person realizes this, the better it is.

Shock
Shock is a sort of psychological mechanism that protects us from the harsh reality of death of a loved one or from the harsh reality of divorce or break up. Being in a state of shock allows a person to function normally for a short while that is until the fog lifts and reality hits.

Most of us do not follow a single format of grief but most often it is shock, denial, guilt, fear, anger, depression and then lastly acceptance or hope.