Considering the multitude of ways the pandemic has changed our lives, many people have experienced grief in reaction to all kinds of losses this year. Grief can be experienced in reaction to any significant loss, whether it be job/income loss, loss of child care, loss of routine and a sense of safety, loss of community and togetherness, or loss of a loved one.
Instead of consisting of one emotion or state, grief is better understood as a process. About 50 years ago, experts noticed a pattern in the experience of grief and they summarized this pattern as the “five stages of grief”, which are: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
The experts who published these stages have since clarified that someone who is grieving could experience the five stages in any order, and they may experience only some of the stages as opposed to all of them. Further, there is no set amount of time for which someone grieving will remain in any one stage, and someone can be experiencing more than one of the stages at any one time. In other words, grief is a very personal and nuanced experience, and everyone grieves in their own way.
Understanding the dynamic nature of grief can help those coping through loss as well as those helping others who are grieving. Here is more information on the five stages of grief:
1. Denial and Isolation
When we lose someone or something important to us, it is natural to reject the idea that it could be true. In turn, we may isolate ourselves to avoid reminders of the truth. Others who wish to comfort us may only make us hurt more while we are still coming to terms with the loss.
2. Anger
When it is no longer possible to live in denial, it is common to become frustrated and angry. We might feel like something extremely unfair has happened to us and wonder what we did to deserve it.
3. Bargaining
In this stage, we might somehow seek to change the circumstances of the situation causing their grief. For example, a religious person whose loved one is dying might seek to negotiate with God to keep the person alive. Bargaining may help the grieving person cope by allowing them a sense of control in the face of helplessness.
4. Depression
In this stage, we feel the full weight of our sadness over the loss. Feeling extremely down in the wake of a loss is normal; however, it is important to be aware that clinical depression is different from grief, and they are treated differently by mental health professionals. See “The Blurred Line Between Grief and Depression” for more information.
5. Acceptance
Eventually, the grieving person may come to terms with their loss. Accepting a loss does not necessarily mean the person is no longer grieving. In fact, many grief experts say that grief can continue for a lifetime after a major loss, and coping with the loss only becomes easier over time. Waves of grief can be triggered by reminders of the loss long after it has happened and long after the person has “accepted” it. These waves may also trigger a crossover into any of the other four stages of grief.
In sum, grief is a personal, nuanced, and complicated process; it will not look the same for any two people who are grieving. However, those who are grieving may experience similar emotions along the way.
If you or someone you know is grieving, Great Lakes Psychology Group can help. GLPG makes it easy to get started with online therapy. If you’d prefer to start online therapy in the wake of the pandemic but anticipate that you’d prefer to switch to in-office therapy at some point, you have the option of choosing a GLPG therapist located in your community.
Related Information:
Grief Counseling
7 Ways to Be There for a Friend Who Is Grieving
Online Therapy for Grief
10/27/2020
written by GLGP
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