Day 11: The Stages of Grief: An Overview

There is some debate over the exact number of stages in the grief process. Some say there are seven, but the most commonly accepted idea is the Kübler-Ross model, which boils the process down to five stages. Those five stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These do not necessarily have to happen in any particular order. In fact, personally I've found that the grief process--rather that being a smooth line that transitions from one phase into the next--tends to look a lot more like this:

This week, we'll be taking a look at the five main stages of grief as laid out in the Kübler-Ross model--one stage for each day (with a break on the 15th to honor Wave of Light). We'll take a more in-depth look at the different ways each stage can present itself, how it can affect communication with your partner, spouse, or loved ones, and more, and I'll try to highlight a book or website that might prove helpful in your own journey through the grief process.