What are the documented phases, stages or tasks in the grieving process?
In this section I will introduce briefly some of the well known ideas about the grieving process. Please bear in mind that these stages/phases should not be seen literally or chronologically, as grief is not a tidy, sequentially experienced set of emotions. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross The stages of grief as outlined by Elisabeth Kubler Ross are probably the best known and documented set of ideas. Kubler Ross (1970) says that those who have been bereaved, or who have experienced other forms of loss, pass through the following stages: Shock stage: It cant be true. Initial paralysis at hearing the news. Denial stage: Trying to avoid facing up the reality of whats happened. Anger stage: Frustrated outpouring of bottled-up emotion. Bargaining stage: Desperately seeking a way out of facing the truth of whats happened Depression stage: Final realising the truth and size of the loss. Testing stage: Seeking realistic solutions as they adjust to their new reality. Acceptance stage: Finally finding the
