Understanding Your Grief

Grief is our natural, emotional response to a loss. Different types of losses can range from the loss of a loved one, a loss that is perhaps unrecognized by society (death of a pet, divorce, loss of a job), to anticipatory loss. Whichever the loss, grief, and the grieving process is unique to the individual and is experienced distinctly according to the bereaved. Renowned psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, outlines the common stages of grief into five stages. However, because the nature of grief is exclusive to the individual, the stages of grief can be interpreted and experienced entirely differently from person to person. Exploring these stages could aid in understanding loss and many ways, aid in putting into context the current place one is at in their grieving process. It can help you to make sense of your feelings, emotions, and thought processes following the loss.

The Five Stages of Grief