One of the most difficult moments we are called to face at some point, in our lives is grief over the loss. Various situations can be defined as loss. In particular, the loss may involve the death of a loved one, a separation, a loss of health or even the death of a pet. In general, loss can involve any departure from a familiar situation.
Although this is a rather difficult situation, many people go beyond the feelings they experience, due to the loss or try to explain them logically or by hiding their deep inside. The most normal reaction after loss is mourning. Every person experiences grief differently, based on their temperament, emotional conditions and support from their environment.
What is mourning?
Mourning is much more than the absence of a loved one from our daily lives. It is an internal process that helps one to manage the loss and to understand the changes in the emotions. As mentioned above, every person experiences mourning differently, both in terms of intensity and duration. However, there are some stages of mourning with a fairly frequent rate of occurrence.
What are the stages of mourning?
Mourning for a loss, and especially the death of a loved one, usually involves five stages.
1st stage – Denial
After a loss, the first reaction of those who experience it is usually denial. Denial can be either conscious or unconscious, in order to combat the pain of loss. It is essentially a defense mechanism of the body to protect it from the shock of loss.
The most common symptoms of people experiencing this stage of mourning are isolation, distancing and introversion. In other words, they do not want to talk about the specific event in order not to have to feel the painful emotions that accompany it.
2nd stage – Anger
After denial, mourning involves the stage of anger. As the person realizes the loss, he tries to throw responsibilities on people and situations by expressing intense anger and rage.
3rd stage of mourning – Negotiation
This stage mainly concerns the announcement of an imminent death. The person experiencing this stage of mourning tries to negotiate death (usually through prayer) so that the inevitable does not come.
4th stage of mourning – Depression
Loss creates a very strong feeling of sadness. Grief which often leads to isolation and stress. The person in this stage may experience sleep disorders, eating disorders and generally strong feelings of melancholy. It is not uncommon for suicidal thoughts to arise.
5th stage – Acceptance
The last stage of mourning is that of acceptance, where the person accepts the loss, manages his emotions and can move on with his life.
Due to the fact that each person experiences the grief of loss differently, these stages may appear in a different order or even some of them may be omitted. In fact, there are many who experience a loss without going through any of the above stages.
If you have recently experienced a loss and managing grief is not easy, you can contact us. Our online psychologists are here to offer you the right guidance through online psychotherapy sessions and to help you get to the acceptance stage more easily.