Coping with Grief and Loss: The Five Stages

Although anger is the most common response to the fear of loss, it sometimes helps you to deal with grief. However, it has been noticed in many cases that immediately after anger or sometimes along with it comes bargaining. This is where fear is at its highest about confronting the loss. This is where you may be bargaining with a higher power to help you out in return for personal sacrifices or promising a change of ways. However, this is a way of delaying to face the truth but is a well-known stage of grieving.

While most people, regardless of men and women would cry after a loss, it isn?t necessary for everyone to do so in a normal grieving process. There are many people who may not cry after suffering a loss, but may express their grief in a completely different manner. Thus, there is no set rule as to whether a person should cry or not when dealing with loss. The bargaining or the depression stage may manifest in this form.

Grief can be caused by the death of a loved one, loss of a relationship, loss of a job, a dream opportunity lost and many other problems. However, there is no set amount of time which is required to get over grief. It is, also, completely depends on the individual how much time he or she will take to get over it. Assigning a specific time will only burden and pressurize the person further.

While the initial grief can go away in some time after you have gone through the five stages of grief, it may continue to come back and trigger smaller episodes later. Anniversaries, birthdays or other memorable occasions, may suddenly trigger a memory and in turn triggering a relapse of grief. This can happen in the case of loss due to death or due to a failed relationship. It is normal for you to feel this way and you shouldn?t stop or block your feelings as this is a very normal reaction.