The Stages of Grief

Losing someone you love is one of the toughest things one can go through in their life. Sadly, it happens way too often nowadays, but that's life for you. Whether you lose someone from death or someone you care for moves away and you lost all contact with them. Grief comes in all ways, shapes, and forms.

There are many stages that are linked with the grieving process. Some are stronger than others it just depends on the person. Supposedly there are only five stages of grief but it should be six stages. The first step is denial but for me each time it's shocking and then denial comes afterward. I say that it is shocking because when you hear that someone you love is no longer there anymore, or has moved away, you just freeze up and don't know what to do next.

The denial comes shortly after and you just don't want to accept that someone you love is gone. You refuse to believe that you won't ever see them again. But then that denial turns into pure anger. How could they leave you like that? Only think about them or not think about themselves at all? Why didn't they take care of themselves or figure out a way to stay where they were? Why did they just give up? They didn't care that they just left you without telling you or waiting to soon to tell you that it would be the last time you see them.

Then the bargaining stage comes into play you try and ask them why they have to go and why they just can't just stay. Or if you are religious you pray to God to not take them from you and to let them have a few more years with you. You're not ready to let them go, not just yet, you can't lose them now you need them!

Take a few deep breaths and just focus on all the good times you had with them. Your loved ones would not want you to be feeling all of this. They would want you to be happy and to live your life. With this, the stage of depression comes and for most people, this stage lasts for a while. This is completely normal, all of these steps are completely normal to go through. It's okay to be sad there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Eventually, things will go back to normal. Sure you will still be sad from time to time but you accept the fact that they are not coming back or unable to come back due to circumstances. They will always be with you and you will always have the memories with them to think back on.

These steps of grief can go in that order or they can be out of order too. It is always a different experience to everyone going through it. There is no timeline to how long one is in the grieving process. Personally, I am stuck in the depression stage because the people I lost were very close to me and I have lost many, many loved ones in my life. I never get to stop and just take a breath to calm myself when thinking of them. Losing them was and is still the hardest thing I have ever gone through in my life.

To those who have lost a loved one I am so sorry you are going through this rough time. But I want you to know that you are not alone. Even though you may feel like you are, you aren't. Because you are always being watched over by your guardian angels. You will always have them with you no matter what you do or where you are. You are very much loved and you will get through this. This I can promise you. May you live a long, happy life like your loved ones would want you to.