In her famous 1969 book, On Death and Dying, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross introduced the five stages of grief. Passage through these steps can affect everyone uniquely; they may not occur in any specific order and take varying length of time to run their course. Note that the stages of grief may be clearly visible in some, or experienced internally in others. Some unfortunately may not experience all the final stage.
Axelrod, J. (2014). The 5 Stages of Loss and Grief. Psych Central. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-5-stages-of-loss-and-grief/000617
- Denial and Isolation - the desire to not admit the truth and block out the event
- Anger - animosity toward the deceased, doctors and other health professionals, and even God
- Bargaining - an attempt to rationalize that the death could have ben prevented or controlled for a different outcome
- Depression - the sadness of the loss and separation from our loved one.
- Acceptance - this stage may not be reached by all; acknowledging the loss is real and permanent
Axelrod, J. (2014). The 5 Stages of Loss and Grief. Psych Central. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-5-stages-of-loss-and-grief/000617