Stages of Bereavement

Grief never ends, but it changes. It is a passage, not a place to stay.The sence of loss must give way, if we are to value the life that was lived.

It is best to allow yourself to feel all the emotions you are going through. Denying your feelings at this time, will cause them to resurface in other ways, at a later date.There are few things that touch us so deeply, as losing someone we love.

What we think we know, or how we think things should progress at this time of loss, is never what we expect it will be.

Bereavement is the action of going through the greiving process.The emotions that are present can range from subtle, to intense. No two people express grief in some way.

There is no time limit, in which to expect the greiving process to take place. The initial phrase may take up to a year, and beyond.

At first, it may seem like the road out of mourning will be never ending. The thought of facing another day without your loved one is unbearable.

When facing a loss, emotions such as shock, anger and depression may be felt, to name a few. These are some of the stages of bereavement.

Mourning does not have a timetable to follow.

There is no right way to grieve.


"Back To Life" A Personal Grief Guidebook, is written by a certified grief counselor. This book recognizes that all grief is not equal, and guides one through the bereavement process.

5 Stages of Grief

The Five Stages of Bereavement are:

One of the first ways we react to loss is denial. The thought, "How could this happen to me?" and "This isn't really happening," can prevail.

Denying a loss in our lives, is an unconscious event. We do not always realize we are doing it. It is a protective measure, to insulate us from what is happening.

After my son died, I simply could not believe it was my son who was gone. "How could that happen to this family?" I thought. It was quite awhile before I knew that my son would not come through the door again.

Getting angry about something you have no control over, is a very difficult stage.

Anger towards the events that led to your loss, to your faith and to those closest to you are common.

At times, anger that has no place to be expressed, will stay with someone. It can show up at a later time when least expected. It is best to deal with anger, than to let it grow.

Keeping a journal,that allows you to see the place you are in, through your writting, can be very helpful. It is one way to work through anger.

Grief counseling gets you in touch with other people that are going through a similiar loss.

After a loss, most people try to bargain in some way. They are trying to regain what they have lost.

This stage of bereavement can be difficult to understand.

"If you get well, I will never yell at you again," is an example of bargaining. It is to have hope that things will be how they used to be.

Part of the healing process, is to understand there is no bargaining with death. Everything has now changed.

Depression, or intense sadness following a significant loss, is one of the stages of bereavement that most everyone goes through.

Depression can be mild, in that you go about your day to day activities, but feel that something is not quite right. Or it can contain fear and uncertainty and a lounging for what was.

During the stage of depression, there is a feeling of hopelessness, such as "Why go on?" It may appear that things will never get better.

During my 'down time', or 'time of great sadness', I did not realize how sad I really was until I started to come out of it. The first time I smiled, or forgot to be sad, was filled with feelings of guilt. I did not think I was allowed to feel better. After all, my son was gone.

As difficult as depression is, it needs to be worked through. Professional help may be needed, if there appears to be a threat to yourself, or to others.

This is when we realize that everything that we have gone through will not bring back that which we have lost. We begin to accept the way things are now and that loss is a part of life.

Acceptance is the uneasy peace that follows the stages of denial, anger, bargaining and depression. It is acceptance with reluctance.

It is to know that the present is different than the past. It is to know that we can still find a ray of light, after the dark. That we can allow ourselves to find happiness in the small things.

Should you find that you are in a prolonged state of depression or unease, and can see very little light coming through, perhaps you may benefit from the services of a grief counselor.