What are the Stages of Grief?

Grief is never easy, and you shouldn’t expect to rush through these five stages of grief and come out the other side the same person you were before your loss. As a family business that provides personalised memorial gifts, we have spoken to many people about their grief and how they felt during their grieving process. Therefore, we understand that bereavement can be a lifelong process, and you may find yourself switching between these stages of grief during your healing. Although not everyone will feel grief the same, understanding how grief can affect you at different times may help you understand and process your emotions.

The 5 stages of grief

The five stages of grief as explained by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in the 1960s:

Denial

Denial is the initial stage of grief where you may reject the idea that what you have loved is now gone. You may also describe this stage of grief as the period where you haven’t quite processed the grief or come to the realisation that person, home or pet is now gone.

Anger

In the second stage of grief, you may feel a sudden rush of anger and frustration. You may feel angry towards the situation or try and blame yourself for what happened. These feelings of rage are a normal part of the grieving process even though what happened was not your fault.

Bargaining

As you come to terms with the loss, your anger towards the situation may transform into a hyperactive state of bargaining due to the guilt you may feel. This stage may look different for everyone, but you will likely experience the need to go over possible scenarios in your head and wonder if there was anything you could have done to prevent the loss from occurring. If you are religious or spiritual, you may also turn to prayer or meditation in the hope that you can gain a sense of control or clarity over the loss.

Depression

In this stage of depression, you will feel an overwhelming sense of emotions most commonly associated with grief. You may find your feelings of sadness flowing in waves over this stage, and your emotions may interfere with your life, work and relationships. However, it is best to honour your feelings and be in the moment, as this is a crucial stage in the grieving process.

It’s important to note that these low feelings of sorrow aren’t the same as clinical depression.

Acceptance

In the final stage of grief, you will have come to understand that the loss is real. Although accepting doesn’t mean you are over the loss. You may also feel fluctuations between the five stages of grief even after reaching the acceptance stage.

Join our grief support community

In addition to providing sentimental memorial jewellery, we also run a support community. Connecting with others enduring the pain of losing a loved one can be helpful, and you may feel less alone in your grieving process. Feel free to join our grief support page on Facebook when you are ready to share your story or hear from others how they have coped with their feelings during this challenging time.