Cremation services Willoughby Hills, OH

5 Stages Of Grief

Cremation services Willoughby Hills, OH put your loved one to rest, but can spark your grief. And worse, many of them are unprepared as our society does not teach about grief or how to process it in healthy ways.

Many studies have been done to understand the complicated grief journey and that’s where the five stages of the grief model came from. Developed by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, it is the most admirable blueprint that helps us understand the grieving process, which is:

  • Denial
  • Anger
  • Bargaining
  • Depression
  • Acceptance

Let’s get into the details.

1. Denial Stage

The first reaction to the loss of a loved one. Soon after you hear horrible news from a doctor or a relative, the denial stage kicks in. The person can’t believe that the loss has occurred and he or she goes like, “This can’t be happening to me.”

Note that denial is not just about rejecting the death of a loved one. It can manifest in many forms like saying, “I’m fine” despite getting overwhelmed by grief.

2. Anger Stage

Followed by denial is the anger phase when your mind starts accepting the harsh reality. You realize that the loved one has left this world forever and you can no longer “deny” or fight against the situation.

And there can be millions of things you can be angry at. Maybe you become angered at the doctors for not treating the patient properly or for not saying something to the loved one when you had a chance. Or you may even direct your anger towards God: “How could You allow this to happen?”

This phase is often short lasting and is immediately followed by bargaining.

3. Bargaining Stage

During this stage, the grieving person tries to bargain with God or himself and plead to bring back the loved one. You wish, pray, or hope that your loved one will be saved in exchange for something.

4. Depression Stage

Often, the depression starts soon after hearing about the loss. But it comes hard when you have accepted the loss and try to adapt to the new reality without the loved one.

It can trigger unexpected behavior and emotions as the person may become overwhelmed and feel hostile towards anyone in her circle. This is often the longest and most painful phase of the grief journey.

Cremation services Willoughby Hills, OH5. Acceptance Stage

The fifth and final stage in the Kubler-Ross model as you have finally come to terms with the loss. It can take a few weeks to several months or years to reach the acceptance stage. You realize that there is nothing you can do to stop it.

Remember that grief and pain are still there, and emotions from the other stages may still arise at times. But the intensity and occurrence of these painful feelings die down. You experience more moments of happiness than bouts of grief and depression.

At this stage, you begin to plan how you will move on with your life and achieve your goals after cremation services Willoughby Hills, OH.