The Seven Stages of Grief
THE LOSS
OCK &
st people react to learning
los numbed disbelief. Yo
deny reality of the loss at
level o avoid pain. Shock
em Onal protection from
may
me
ides
Ing
Ove
at once.
2. PAIN & GUILT
As shock we off, it is replac
the sufferi
of
Although
eels unbear
pain_fi.lllx, d not hide avoid it or
3. ANGER & BARGAINING
Frustration leads to anger. You may lash out
and lay unwarranted blame for your loss
on someone else — try to control this, as
permanent damage to your relationships
m a yresult This IS a time to release
bottled up emotion.
You may rail against fate,
questioning •n.'Vhy meP'
You may also tr y to
bargain in vain with the
powers that be for a
way out of your despair
("l will never drink again if
just bring him back")
4. DEPRESSION, REFLECTION,
LONELINESS
A long period of sa$ßrlectlon overtakes
you. Realization Of
e magnitude Of
your loss sets in and it
dens you. You
may isolate yourself o rpose,
reflect on things you did W
your lost one, and focus 0
memories of the past. You
may also sense feelings of
emptiness or despair.
5. THE UPWARD TURN
As you start to adjust to life without
dear one, your life becomes a
little calmer and more
organized. Your physical
symptoms lessen, and your
"depression" begins to lift
slightly
7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE
In the last stage, you learn to accept and deal
with the reality ofyour situation. Acceptance
does not necessarily mean happiness. With
the pain and turmoil you experienced, you
can never return to the carefree. untroubled
YOU that existed this tragedy. but you
Will find a way forward
You will start to look fo
and plan things
for the future. You will be able to think about
Fur lost loved one in Sadness, without
wrenching pain. You will once again anticipate
some good times to come, and yes, even find
joy again in the experience of lie"
6. RECONSTRUCTION &
WORKING THROUGH
You become more functional and
r mind
starts working again. You will find
yourself seeking realistic
solutions to problems posed by
escap
it with
You
01 or drugs.
have guilty
life without your loved one.
You will start to work on p
and financial problem
reconstructing yours
without him o
gs or remorse
things you did
or didn't do with
your loved one.
scary
fe
SOCIAL
WORK
TECH
used with Permission from: Wright, J. (2011). 7 stages of grief: through the process and
to life. Retrieved from htto•ffwww.recover-from-grief.com
advancedmindmanagement.com