Stages of Grief After a Year
What Is Grief?
Grief is a natural consequence of loss. Whether a person experiences the loss of a loved one, a close friend, a pet , a home or a job, each experiences grief. The impact is different, and each person reacts in his own way, depending on the degree of loss and the relationship involved.
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, author of "On Death and Dying," described a type of emotional journey for people who are facing death. The seven stages of grief is now typically used to describe the process of various types of loss.
Stages
The typically accepted seven stages of grief are described as: shock or disbelief; denial, anger, bargaining, guilt, depression, and acceptance and hope.
In his book, "Healing Grief," James Van Praagh points out that this is not a model set in stone. Everyone is different and deals with loss and grief in a personal way, so the "stages" don't necessarily happen the same way.
A description of the stages:
Shock - The first reaction to a loss is a total disbelief.
Denial - Closely related to shock, denial is another defense mechanism.
Bargaining - People make promises: "I'll quit smoking" or "I'll go to church every Sunday," trying to bargain with God if a loved one can be spared or a situation could change.
Anger - After the shock wears off, a person usually feels a sense of being powerless and not in control. Anger might be directed at God, at doctors, or at a boss or someone else in charge.
Guilt - Blaming ourselves for a death or a loss in our lives is common.
Sadness and Depression - Sadness is the most visible emotion after a loss, and often present through all of the grieving process.
Acceptance and Hope - People need to accept loss in order to heal emotionally. This does not mean that the grieving process is over.
Journey to healing
Each phase of the grieving process is normal, but it is a personal journey. Someone might move through the quickly, while another person might have a longer emotional journey to acceptance and hope.
A February 2007 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that, in people who are grieving, negative symptoms typically peak by around six months after the loss, then gradually decline.
But other factors such as a sudden death or loss, or illness such as addiction or depression, can extend grief. Finding a support group, talking about the loss and finding ways to express grief help a person heal, Van Praag said.
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