The 6 Stages of Grief and How to Deal with Them
Grief is a natural process following a loss. It may feel like the world is ending, but this is just the first step on your road to recovery. Grief can take many forms, but there are seven stages that most people experience when they lose someone they love. Anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one knows how painful it can be. The key to coping with loss is to understand that these reactions are normal and that they will pass with time. Read on to learn more about the grieving process and how you can cope with loss.
Recognize and acknowledge the loss
It’s important to recognize that you’ve lost someone and that you’ve suffered a loss. Otherwise, you’re not really in a position to start the grieving process. Sometimes we try to deny that the person who’s passed away is gone. This will only make it harder to start grieving. When you’re ready, you can do whatever helps you to acknowledge the death. When you’ve acknowledged the loss, try to let go of any guilt or regrets you have. You did the best you could at the time. There’s nothing you could’ve done differently. Nothing you could’ve said or done will bring the person back.
Depression
Most people experience some sadness and grief following a loss, but if your feelings are very intense and go on for longer than a few weeks, you may be suffering from depression. If the sadness and other grief symptoms last longer than 2 months, you should seek help. You may be depressed and not know it. It is important to understand that you are not weak or abnormal; you are suffering from a very common, but serious illness.
Anger
After a loss, it’s normal to be angry with yourself, angry with God, or angry with the person who died. It’s also very common to be angry with others, particularly friends and relatives who are trying to help you. You may feel you don’t deserve their sympathy or help, or you may resent having to depend on other people. But when you’re grieving, you need others’ help and support. You don’t need to repress or deny your anger. It’s important to let it out.
Acceptance
After a loss, it’s normal to go through many stages, including denial, anger, bargaining, and depression. If you don’t work through these emotions, you may stay stuck in one phase. If you go through them, you will come to a place of acceptance. You may never completely accept death, but you will come to a point where you can cope with it. You may want to ask yourself some questions, such as “What can I do about this?”, or “What is the best for my situation?” Once you realize you can’t change what has happened, acceptance will come more easily.
Reconstruction
As you deal with your grief, you may find yourself trying to understand why this happened or how it happened.
You may want to know more about the person who died or what led up to the death. You may want to visit the place where the person died or talk to other people who were there. You may want to try to understand how death works and how it happens. This is normal and part of the grieving process.
Finding meaning
As you deal with your grief, you may find yourself asking, “Why me?” or “Why did this happen?” This is a normal part of the grieving process. Try to focus on what happened, not what didn’t happen. It may be helpful to ask yourself “What can I learn from this?” or “How has my life been changed by this event?” You may view life differently and find new meaning in what you do.
There is no right way to grieve. You may find that you follow these stages in a logical order, or you may jump back and forth between them. The stages are not predictable and they don’t necessarily happen in order. You may find that you go back and forth among them many times.No matter how you experience grief, it is important to know that you will heal.
You will go on with your life, and you will ultimately come out stronger because of your loss. You may find that you want to talk about your feelings, or you may want to keep them inside. You will find your path and your way of dealing with your grief. And though it may be difficult at times, you will come out on the other side.
This article is written by a therapist from Sensera – a self-help app that provides daily CBT audio sessions and exercises. The app helps people deal with a variety of mental issues (anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship problems). Download Sensera now to become happier!
