Grief comes in all shapes, sizes, feelings, etc. No two people grieve the same, and it’s a very tricky subject to maneuver around.
When a loved one passes away, it often feels as though your whole world collapses. You turn to others for a kind word and they think they are helping, but sometimes their words may get twisted in a way that sounds hurtful; but you know their intentions are good.
If you search online for the “stages of grief” you’ll see the commonly referred to “7 Stages of Grief” nicely listed out.
- Shock and denial.
- Pain and guilt.
- Anger and bargaining.
- Depression.
- The upward turn.
- Reconstruction and working through.
- Acceptance and hope.
There are other websites out there that list the 5, 7, or 12 stages out, but we will stick to the 7 stages since they are commonly heard.
With there being 7 “stages”, it appears as though each person experiencing grief will move through these quickly and easily with no chance of backsliding. This is often not the case.
As you can see, some people can get to any stage and either jump forward a stage or two, or even back all the way back down to stage 1. Grief is a healthy way to express your emotions after a traumatic loss, no matter the pattern you take to heal.
Luckily, St. Anthony’s Hospice offers bereavement counseling and support groups to help you through it. And it’s free and open to everyone in the community- not only families of St. Anthony’s patients! Please give us a call at (270) 826-2326 or visit our website here to learn more. In addition, we have some Helpful Bereavement Links on our website.
