Grief and Loss
Grief is the natural response to the loss of someone or something important. It can be expressed through many emotions including sadness, anger, confusion, shock, guilt, numbness, and more. Grief can arise from many life events such as death of a loved one, trauma, divorce or separation, a miscarriage, losing a job, losing a friendship, illness, or major life transitions.
According to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, there are five stages of grief that many individuals experience after undergoing a significant loss including:
Denial: Individuals are often in shock or numb after experiencing loss. To cope, many people deny the reality of the situation.
Anger: As reality sets in, it is common to feel angry. This anger can be directed at oneself, at others, at the person who was lost, or simply at the situation.
Bargaining: After feeling denial and anger, many people turn to bargaining with a higher power or with fate in an attempt to undo or delay the loss.
Depression: Once the gravity of the loss is realized, it is normal to feel a deep sense of sadness or hopelessness.
Acceptance: The last stage of grief is acceptance, where individuals begin to recognize the reality of the loss. Acceptance is not feeling normal or fine about the loss, but it is finding a way to live with grief.
It’s important to note that every person grieves differently and these stages are not linear. Additionally, it is not necessary to go through these stages in order to experience healing. There is no “right way” to heal from loss, everyone has their own journey.
Facing grief and loss is complex and difficult. While family and friends can be great sources of support, sometimes navigating grief requires people outside of your inner circle. If grief is impacting your physical health, ability to manage your job or family responsibilities, or is causing crippling depression or distress that prevents you from moving forward with life, therapy may be helpful for you. A therapist can be a resource to guide you through your grief and lead you to experiencing healing.