Death seems to be a harrowing experience for both parties; the dying person and their loved ones being left. Like other significant losses, death hurt to considerable extends. Loss of a job, divorce, ending of a relationship, and news of terminal illness are examples of losses whose hurting still falls below death. When such losses happen, different people grief differently depending on their level of preparedness (Dacey & Travers, 2002). The applicable stages of grieving experienced are denial, anger, negotiation, depression, and acceptance. These phases are experienced at different stages and do not follow a specific order. This paper responds to Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's proposed five psychological stages of dying.
Most people often go through the denial stage when something terrible happens to them, especially if they were not expecting. Abrupt loss of a job, for instance, can make one think that they have just been given a temporary leave. The strong perception that they will be recalled later makes them survive the loss during its initial stage. People often struggle to come into terms with how they will endure during this stage without what they are used to having (Corr, 2018). The shock and denial that follows makes one survive this stage and also hastens the healing process.
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Once the shock is over, one begins to live in reality and not in denial. Anger sets in with the person questioning the reason behind their tribulations. During this stage, one might blame others for the loss, and they may redirect that anger to them. Mental health professionals’ advice is that this anger is a necessary stage of grief. The more one feels the anger, the more it will disappear, and the faster the healing process. It is not healthy to suppress the rage, but one should release it as sometimes they might be disconnected from reality, and this might be the only thing binding them to the truth.
Negotiation is also a typical phase of grieving. This is a stage of false hope, where one believes the loss can be reduced. This is because one wants to get their life back. Depression is the fourth stage of grieving. It shows the reality we are in, that the situation happened, that we lost the job or the relationship ended. Some people might feel numb, withdrawn from life, live in a fog, and might not want to get out of bed. Some might not see the importance of life and might experience suicidal thoughts. Acceptance is the stage in which emotions begin to stabilize. One comes to terms with the new normal that the situation happened, and it cannot be undone (Enoch & Mailman, 2019). In this stage, adjustments and readjustments are made, and normal life begins.
This model of grieving applies to other significant losses in life, such as loss of job and divorce. Losing anything dear to our lives attracts the discussed seven stages of grieving.
References
Corr, C. A. (2018). Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and the “Five stages” model in a sampling of recent American textbooks. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying , 003022281880976. https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222818809766
Dacey, J. S., & Travers, J. F. (2002). Human development across the lifespan . McGraw-Hill College.
Enoch, W., & Mailman, D. (2019). The 7 stages of grieving . Playlab Press.
