Loss Vs Grief Essay

Words: 1371
Pages: 6

What are the different ways that people deal with loss or grief?
I have experienced loss at different stages of my life. I lost my grandmother around eight years old, but I didn’t understand what was going on at the time. When I lost my other grandmother and grandfather in my late teens, I knew what was going on but I feel that I was not mature enough to process my feelings and emotions. When I lost my mother-in-law recently, not only was that hard on my family and I, but it brought back up those unprocessed feelings and emotions back to the surface. I feel like I now had the tools to deal with and process the grief and to try and make sense of it all.
We may all be familiar with the five stages of grief (Kübler-Ross model), which are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance (Boss, 2012). Howarth (2011) stated that “most people experience a "normal" grieving process in which they endure a period of sorrow, numbness, and even guilt or anger, followed by a gradual fading of these feelings as the griever accepts the loss and moves forward.” Anger may be directed at the mourner for not being able to stop the loss. “If I had just…then this would have never happened. “ Some may
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There is no set time to get over a loss. “People grieve in different ways, for different durations, and with manifestations that range from depression to rage to avoidance (Howarth, 2011).” Some argue that their goal is not to “get over the loss” but to enter a new reality with that physical relationship is no longer there. Stroebe (2005) stated that, “the deceased will remain a part of ongoing life, but there will be recognition and acceptance that he or she is no longer physically present, and this change will become well integrated over the course of time.” Although easier said than done, this is accepting a new reality where that person is no longer