The Five Stages of Death and Dying
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross worked with her team of students to fully understand studies in mental dispositions and the stages of grief, developed in 1969. The stages of grief are commonly referred to as the "5 stages of dying", as referred to in her book On Death and Dying. This book is about these "5 stages of dying" and how their relation to the grieving process that different "stages" or periods of grieving are categorized.
The five steps are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The grieving person is striving to reach the last step of acceptance. This step is considered the transition back to regular, normal life. This is the time in which the person moves on from whatever of whoever they are grieving.
The five steps are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The grieving person is striving to reach the last step of acceptance. This step is considered the transition back to regular, normal life. This is the time in which the person moves on from whatever of whoever they are grieving.
Denial
The first step of the 5 stages of dying, denial, is normal for anyone who is grieving a loss. It is normal to have a reaction of denial or disbelief in what has just happened, caused by shock. This is most common in sudden occurrences of loss, such as an accident. This is also common at a time when someone is diagnosed with a terminal or non-curable disease. "At first, it may seem unbelievable or unacceptable" says Kubler-Ross. Kubler-Ross has been studying people who have been diagnosed with terminal diseases. She has been monitoring their grieving. She found that shock and numbness are two other emotions that can be used to describe this particular stage of grief. After the shock has worn off, the following may be associated with this stage: pain, sadness, guilt (usually only in accidents, not in disease)
Anger
This is the most difficult of the five steps to manage and keep under control. "Anger comes when the surviving person realizes denial is no longer an option. People in this stage may lash out at those around them that are trying to provide support" says Kubler-Ross, "Human nature wants to blame someone else for the loss" This is the stage at which people often ask "why me?" This stage is the most dangerous to the grieving person. This is the stage that the person may become a danger to themselves or others. This stage is when a person may think "why am I here" or "who would care if I were gone"
Bargaining
This stage is more common in a person who has experienced a death in the family, according to Kubler-Ross and her students, it is still part of the grieving process and typically follows a stage of anger. Bargaining almost always involves a conversation, connection, or a wish to a higher power for help of to take away their loss. This may include a God or other higher power of a paranormal sort. This is when a patient's religion may play a role in the way that a person mourns a loss. This may either speed up or slow down the mourning process.
Depression
The fourth "stage of dying" has the most potential for turning into grief. According to Kubler-Ross in her study of the terminally ill, it is this stage that the person realizes his or her certain death, and may realize that the situation is hopeless. It is most important to understand the difference between normal sadness and clinical depression. People may get to the depression stage earlier or later than expected, but this is not abnormal, as some would think. "Everyone grieves in their own way" (Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth) "Depression is a normal part of the grieving process". Emotions like emptiness, isolation, helplessness, and extreme sadness are common during this stage.
Acceptance
Acceptance is the final stage in the process of grieving a loss. Everyone going through this process is headed for this destination sooner or later. This is the place everyone strives to reach. "For the dying individual, this is the stage at which one attempts things for what they are, makes peace with the world, and makes the relationships with the deceased dignified. They accept the situation, and go on with their life, accepts the loss as a part of life, although it will be in a different way" (Kubler-Ross)