Plaintext
BEFORE A LOSS The Seven Stages of Grief
3. ANGER & BARGAINING 7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE
Frustration leads to anger. This is a time to release In the last stage, you learn to
P P ENS bottled up emotion. You may lash out and lay accept and deal with the reality
SH A unwarranted blame for your loss on of your situation. Acceptance
OS
someone else — try to does not necessarily mean
E L control extreme overreaction, as happiness. With the pain and turmoil
TH permanent damage to your you experienced, you can never return to the
relationship(s) may result. carefree, untroubled YOU that existed before
this tragedy, but you will find a way forward.
AFTER A LOSS You may ask “Why me?” or
try to bargain in vain with the You will start to look forward and plan things
1. SHOCK & DENIAL a higher power for a way out for the future. You will be able to think about
Most people react to learning about a loss with of despair (“I will never drink your lost loved one in sadness, without
numbed disbelief. You may deny the reality again if you bring him back”). wrenching pain. You will once again anticipate
of the loss at some level to avoid pain. Shock some good times to come, and yes, even find
provides emotional protection from being joy again in the experience of living.
4. DEPRESSION, REFLECTION, LONELINESS
overwhelmed all at once. This may last for weeks.
A long period of sadness may overtake you. You
might realize the true magnitude of your loss 6. RECONSTRUCTION & WORKING
2. PAIN & GUILT sets and it will sadden you. You may isolate on THROUGH
As shock wears off, it is replaced with the purpose, reflect on things you did with your lost You become more functional
suffering of excruciating pain. Although it one, and focus on memories of the past. You and your mind starts working
feels unbearable, it is important that you may also sense feelings of emptiness or again. You will find yourself
experience the pain fully, and not hide it, avoid despair. seeking realistic solutions to
it or escape from it with alcohol or drugs. You
problems posed.
may have guilty feelings or
remorse over things you did 5. THE UPWARD TURN
? ?
or didn’t do with your loved
one. Life feels chaotic and
As you start to adjust to life with your loss,
your life becomes a little calmer and more
?
scary during this phase. organized. Your physical symptoms lessen,
and your “depression” begins to lift slightly.
The Seven Stages of Grief by Social Work Tech | Ignacio Pacheco
Social This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Work Based on work by Wright, J. (2011). 7 stages of grief: through the process and back to life. Retrieved from http://www.recover-from-grief.com
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