If you’ve lost a loved one, you’re probably experiencing a lot of different emotions. Each feeling you experience is another step in your grieving process. The grieving process is like a journey–it takes you from the starting point of your loss to a new life.
Depending on how far into the grieving process you are, some experts believe that most people go through similar stages of grief. These stages include: denial of the loss, anger, bargaining to get your loved one or piece of mind back, depression, and finally–acceptance.
Everyone moves through the grieving process at their own pace–in their own way. Some people become very quiet and thoughtful, while others cry a lot. Neither is better than other because both will help you heal in your own way.
There isn’t a fixed amount of time that it will take to get through each stage of the grieving process, but there are ways to help you get through it: accept your feelings, allow yourself to cry, smile, say goodbye in a letter or ceremony, avoid bottling stuff up, and talk to someone.
Grief can bring up many emotions or reactions and it can be a lot to handle on your own. For more information click here.
Acknowledgement: This fact sheet was originally developed by youth and staff at ReachOut.com, a website that helps teens get through tough times.
