Understanding Grief: The Five Stages

Dealing with the grew you feel after losing a loved one is never easy. After services from funeral homes in Longview, TX., everyone will grieve in their own way and in their own time. There will be many feelings you may experience ranging from anger to denial to sadness and even confusion.

While the process is not easy, it is something we must go through to process what has happened and eventually accept this new life. One thing that can help is knowing a little of what you can expect. While it is true that everyone will grieve in their own way, there are certain stages of grief that most everyone will experience. Knowing what these stages are and what they entail can help you get through them a little better.

First Stage: Denial

Denial is the first stage. This is the stage in where we tend to feel lost and confused. We may feel as if we can’t go on or we don’t believe this is all true or really happening. Although denial may seem more harmful than good, it is actually beneficial in letting us pace our grief. It’s a natural way in letting us only deal with as much grief as we can handle.

Second Stage: Anger

In this stage, we can experience strong feelings of anger and resentment. We may question God or the universe on how they could let this happen. This anger may be directed towards friends, family members, and even strangers. Just know that the majority of the time, the anger we are directing at them has nothing to do with them, but they are just an outlet for the feelings. These feelings will subside, and as long as they don’t get out of hand, they are a normal part of the grieving process.

Third Stage: Bargaining

In this stage we make statements in hope of changing fate. These can be done before the loss of our loved one and can include things such as:

- “If you just let them live, I promise to be a better person”

- “I promise to do X if you cure them of their disease”

These statements can also take place after the loss of our loved one. For example, “If you take away this pain, I will devote my life to being a better person”.

Fourth Stage: Depression

Depression can be a very difficult stage. In this stage we may not even feel like getting out of bed or doing any of our normal daily activities. We may feel the pain is too unbearable and that it will never end. We may withdraw and isolate ourselves from our friends and family.

While these feelings are normal and valid, you need to be careful here that the feelings don’t go on too long or get too intense. If you feel that you are having a hard time snapping out of this stage, reach out and ask for help.

Fifth Stage: Acceptance

The final stage in grieving is acceptance. This is the point that you begin to come to terms with your new reality and how life will now be. This doesn’t mean you are not still experiencing feelings of sadness; it just means, you can begin to see a new way of life with a little bit of hope for the future.

Grieving is hard. If you feel you need additional help in getting through this or would like to get more information about our services, please contact us anytime. As directors of homes in Longview, TX., we have many resources to help assist you in this difficult time.