According to this theory put forward by Swiss psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her book “On Death and Dying” published in 1969, the grieving process consists of some stages. These are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. In the rest of the article, you can examine what happened during these phases.
Stage 1 Denial: When faced with an unexpected loss (death, illness, etc.), the person goes into a kind of shock and this stage is based on the person’s denial of the situation he is in. The person at this stage tends to deny the situation by saying phrases such as “this can’t happen to me”, “no, I haven’t experienced anything like this”, “he can’t really be dead”. The person avoids acknowledging the situation he is in and the pain he is experiencing and wants to ignore what happened: “everything is fine”…
Stage 2 Anger: After the denial stage, the person moves to this stage. Now he sees the experience he has lived and feels anger with the disappointment of his loss. He asks himself questions such as “Why did this happen to me?”, “Why me?” Anger at this stage is a natural and actually healthy emotion. It is part of the grieving process and can help the person cope.
Stage 3 Negotiation: In this stage, the person calms down after the anger he experiences and starts to bargain with himself, the people around him, the universe and the creator. The person begins to calm himself and make promises with words such as “If I did this, it wouldn’t be like this”, “I wish it was like this”, “I will treat him more carefully as long as he doesn’t die”.
Stage 4 Depression: When he passes this stage, the person realizes that there is nothing he can do about the return/improvement of the person/situation he has lost. He has completely faced the truth and begins to experience the despair and unhappiness of the loss. The person may feel too tired and unwilling to do anything. There may be setbacks in his business and private life, he may get caught up in it. Sleep-appetite problems may occur. The intensity of depression experienced in this stage can vary from person to person.
Stage 5 Acceptance: When this last stage is reached, the person begins to digest the loss/situation he has experienced. In this stage, he may recall the memories of the lost person from time to time, and express his longing for that person. However, he realizes that he must return to his old way of life. He can make plans for the future and start to communicate with those around him again. The person may become more extroverted and functional. With this phase, the mourning process comes to an end.
