{"id":13853,"date":"2014-04-22T08:41:25","date_gmt":"2014-04-22T08:41:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.musicademy.com\/?p=13853"},"modified":"2022-10-26T11:53:16","modified_gmt":"2022-10-26T11:53:16","slug":"stages-grief-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.musicademy.com\/blog\/stages-grief-process\/","title":{"rendered":"Stages of the grief process"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It was Swiss-American psychiatrist, <strong>Elizabeth K\u00fcbler-Ross,<\/strong> a pioneer in near-death studies and the author of the ground breaking book <em><strong>On Death and Dying<\/strong><\/em>, who first established a set of stages she called \u2018The Grief Process\u2019. Her research during the 1960s resulted in a set of five stages &#8211; Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance &#8211; that may or may not present themselves in a linear progression. They were designed to give a framework and a shape to the jumble of emotions and thoughts being experienced by a bereaved person. Stages may be passed through and experienced in different ways as everyone\u2019s journey is as personal to them as their fingerprint.<\/p>\n<p>The summaries of each stage below are drawn from descriptions of the stages that appear on the back of the Ramryge Angel Cards designed by Claudia Brown (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicademy.com\/blog\/angels-grief-stages\/\">read the story behind them here<\/a>). Claudia has added her own 6th stage \u2013 Peace, which she believes is attainable after Acceptance, through faith and trust in God and offers hope in the midst of distress.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/denialcardrgb-520px.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-13857\" src=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/denialcardrgb-520px-140x200.jpg\" alt=\"Denial\" width=\"140\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/denialcardrgb-520px-140x200.jpg 140w, https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/denialcardrgb-520px-506x720.jpg 506w, https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/denialcardrgb-520px.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 140px) 100vw, 140px\" \/><\/a><strong>1. Denial<\/strong> is seen as the first stage of the grief process. When in Denial we can find ourselves in a state of shock, numbness, or panic and generally refuse to accept reality. Denial is the shock absorber for the soul and a natural reaction to pain, loss and change.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Angercard09-rgb-520px.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-13855 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Angercard09-rgb-520px-141x200.jpg\" alt=\"anger\" width=\"141\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Angercard09-rgb-520px-141x200.jpg 141w, https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Angercard09-rgb-520px-510x720.jpg 510w, https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Angercard09-rgb-520px.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 141px) 100vw, 141px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Anger<\/strong> is seen as the second stage. When we have stopped denying our loss, feelings of anger, frustration or rage can emerge. We may be angry at God, ourselves, our situation and the people around us. This anger can be reasonable and justified or sometimes irrational and misdirected as we seek to blame someone or something for our loss.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Bargainingcard09-rgb-520px.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-13856\" src=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Bargainingcard09-rgb-520px-141x200.jpg\" alt=\"Bargaining\" width=\"141\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Bargainingcard09-rgb-520px-141x200.jpg 141w, https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Bargainingcard09-rgb-520px-508x720.jpg 508w, https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Bargainingcard09-rgb-520px.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 141px) 100vw, 141px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Bargaining<\/strong> is the third stage. After the anger has begun to subside, we may attempt to strike a bargain with ourselves, another person but most probably God. We feel that if we <em>do this<\/em> or someone else does <em>that<\/em> then by some miracle we can prevent our loss. This is often futile and comes from a desperate place.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13858\" style=\"color: #0000ee;\" src=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/depressioncard09-rgb-520px-141x200.jpg\" alt=\"Depression\" width=\"141\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/depressioncard09-rgb-520px-141x200.jpg 141w, https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/depressioncard09-rgb-520px-508x720.jpg 508w, https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/depressioncard09-rgb-520px.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 141px) 100vw, 141px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Depression<\/strong> is seen as the fourth stage. When we see that bargaining hasn\u2019t worked and we are exhausted from our struggle to ward off reality, we finally acknowledge what has happened and feel the pain. It is often at this stage that deep sadness and depression can set in and this is what we have been trying to avoid. This is the essence of grief &#8211; mourning at its fullest and begins when we humbly surrender.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/acceptancecard09rgb-520px.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-13854\" src=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/acceptancecard09rgb-520px-139x200.jpg\" alt=\"Acceptance\" width=\"139\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/acceptancecard09rgb-520px-139x200.jpg 139w, https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/acceptancecard09rgb-520px-503x720.jpg 503w, https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/acceptancecard09rgb-520px.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 139px) 100vw, 139px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Acceptance<\/strong> is seen as the fifth stage. Having finally felt the pain of our loss, the end to our struggle is at hand. Acceptance is not necessarily a happy stage, but the pain has almost subsided and there is a sense of freedom and release. We have adjusted to and become more comfortable with what our life has become and we are ready to move forwards.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/peacecard09-rgb-520px.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-13859 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/peacecard09-rgb-520px-141x200.jpg\" alt=\"Peace\" width=\"141\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/peacecard09-rgb-520px-141x200.jpg 141w, https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/peacecard09-rgb-520px-510x720.jpg 510w, https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/peacecard09-rgb-520px.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 141px) 100vw, 141px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>6. Peace<\/strong> is an extra stage beyond Acceptance. Having finally achieved acceptance of the reality of our present circumstances, we can begin to find peace. Peace within our heart, peace in the joy of life and peace with God. We don\u2019t forget the past but can now take positive steps into our future, having been through the grief process to emerge, changed.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/headshot-cb-394-h.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-13838\" style=\"margin: 1px;\" src=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/headshot-cb-394-h-171x200.jpg\" alt=\"Claudia Ashley-Brown\" width=\"171\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/headshot-cb-394-h-171x200.jpg 171w, https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/headshot-cb-394-h.jpg 338w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 171px) 100vw, 171px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Claudia Brown is an artist mainly specialising in perspex. See more at\u00a0perspexangel.co.uk.\u00a0She creates jewellery, functional items, sculptural forms, gifts and lighting, and is interested in the idea of &#8216;drawing with light&#8217;, by etching onto the surface of Perspex.<\/p>\n<p>Claudia is happy to work to commission and enjoys the challenge of working on creative projects that mean something special to those she is working for. The journey is part of the process, using her creative and practical skills to find solutions. Christian and spiritual themes often form part of her work as she seeks to create pieces that have a deeper resonance.<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright wp-image-13850\" style=\"margin: 1px;\" src=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/six-angel-images-175x132.jpg\" alt=\"Ramryge Angels Cards\" width=\"175\" height=\"132\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/six-angel-images-175x132.jpg 175w, https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/six-angel-images.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 175px) 100vw, 175px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Claudia also undertakes commissions and low cost freelance graphic design projects with a growing client base of church-based organisations. Do\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:perspexangel@outlook.com?subject=Enquiry\">contact her<\/a>\u00a0for further information.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It was Swiss-American psychiatrist, Elizabeth K\u00fcbler-Ross, a pioneer in near-death studies and the author of the ground breaking book On Death and Dying, who first established a set of stages she called \u2018The Grief Process\u2019. Her research during the 1960s resulted in a set of five stages &#8211; Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance &#8211; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5303,"featured_media":13857,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[928],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Stages of the grief process<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explanation and beautiful moving illustrations of the stages of the grief process as described by Elizabeth K\u00fcbler-Ross. 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