The 7 stages of grief are based on the work of Swiss psychiatrist Dr Elisabeth Kübler-Ross.
She developed 5 stages of grief in 1969, but two more were added over the years to help strengthen the model.
The 7 stages are:
- Shock and denial
- Pain and guilt
- Anger and bargaining
- Depression
- Upward turn
- Reconstruction and working through
- Acceptance and hope
The stages are not linear or fixed, and people may experience them in different orders or skip some of them. They are meant to help understand the complex emotions that come with loss.
Here is a brief explanation of each stage:
- Shock and denial: This is the initial reaction to the loss, where you may feel numb, disoriented, or unable to accept what happened.
- Pain and guilt: This is when you start to feel the emotional and physical pain of the loss, and you may also experience guilt, regret, or self-blame.
- Anger and bargaining: This is when you may feel angry at yourself, others, or the situation, and you may try to bargain with a higher power or fate to reverse or change the loss.
- Depression: This is when you may feel hopeless, helpless, or isolated, and you may lose interest in things that used to bring you joy.
- Upward turn: This is when you start to adjust to the new reality and cope with the loss in a healthier way.
- Reconstruction and working through: This is when you begin to rebuild your life and find new meaning or purpose.
- Acceptance and hope: This is when you accept the loss as a part of your life and move forward with hope and optimism.
