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Dec 21, 2020 · Loss and grief bring unique challenges and pain. Putting the loss in context and understanding the vacillating nature of grief can help us learn to live with the loss.
Every culture offers rituals that help us understand and ‘perform’ our grief. Every culture prescribes the meaning of our loss, sometimes in spiritual terms, as well as the roles others can take to support us.
Sep 14, 2024 · Defining Bereavement in Psychology: More Than Just Sadness. In the clinical realm, bereavement is defined as the period of grief and mourning after a loss. But oh, how that simple definition fails to capture the storm of emotions, the physical ache, the cognitive fog that descends upon the bereaved!
Grief is a person’s natural reaction to a loss that can present itself in emotional pain and sadness while bereavement represents the time period after the loss when the person grieves and mourns that loss.
- Overview
- What Are the Stages of Grief?
- What Is the Acceptance Stage of Grief?
- Characteristics of the Acceptance Stage of Grief
- Coping With the Acceptance Stage of Grief
- A Word From Verywell
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After a loss, you may experience many different emotions, including shock, denial, grief, anger, guilt, and regret. Eventually however, you may reach a stage of acceptance.
“Acceptance doesn’t mean that you feel happy about the loss. Rather, in this stage, there is finally an acceptance of the pain and loss you experienced, and you start to look forward to and plan for the future,” says Sarah Gundle, PsyD, a clinical psychologist with a private practice in New York City.
The loss may be the loss of a loved one, or something else that had meaning for you, such as an idea, a business, a relationship, a physical ability, or even a sense of independence or control.
A Swiss-American psychiatrist named Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross proposed a theory in 1969, that we grieve in five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The theory gained popularity in academic circles and popular culture alike.
According to Dr. Gundle, the theory has been adapted since and now includes seven stages, which are:
•Shock and denial: A state of disbelief and numbness.
•Pain and guilt: The loss still feels unbearable and your feelings and needs seem overwhelming.
•Anger and bargaining: A stage where you lash out or tell a higher power that you’ll do something if they’ll only grant you relief and an end to these feelings.
•Depression: A period of isolation and loneliness where you process the loss and reflect on it.
Sarah Gundle, PsyD
This stage is about accepting the fact that there is a new reality that cannot be changed, and figuring out how the new reality will impact your life, relationships, and trajectory. — Sarah Gundle, PsyD Dr. Gundle notes that acceptance does not mean slipping back into denial by pretending that the loss has not occurred. Rather, acceptance means embracing the present, understanding the extent of the loss rather than fighting it, accepting responsibility for yourself and your actions, and then starting your journey toward a new phase of life with contentment, says Dr. Gundle.
These are some of the characteristics of the acceptance stage of grief, according to Dr. Gundle:
•Feeling positive and hopeful
•Seeking out new meaning
•Feeling more secure and relaxed
•Engaging with reality as it is rather than what you thought it would be
•Being more mindful and present
These are some strategies that can help you achieve acceptance:
•Remember that it takes time: Grieving is a painful process and healing can take time. Even if you start to accept the loss, there may be times when you feel angry, sad, or upset, and that’s all right. Acceptance becomes more stable with time, says Dr. Gundle.
•Perform a ritual: A gesture or a ritual that has meaning to you can help you process your loss, making it easier for you to let go. You can even choose to perform the ritual periodically on holidays or special occasions, to honor the memory of your loss and help you cope.
•Surround yourself with loved ones: While you’re grieving, keep friends and family members close, rather than withdrawing from them and isolating yourself. Let them know how they can be there for you and accept their support.
•Focus on the positives: It’s important to focus on positive aspects like happy memories, learnings and insights, what you have rather than what you’ve lost, and the courage and resilience you have shown.
•Start to look toward the future: When you feel ready, start thinking about and planning for the future. You may experience twinges of guilt or sadness if it’s not how you pictured it would be, but you’ll slowly come to accept that this is the way things were meant to be.
A major loss can take a mental and physical toll on you and turn your world upside down. However, the final stage of the grieving process is acceptance, which is when you accept your new reality and start to make your way forward through it.
9 Types of Grief People May Experience, According to Experts
4 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
1.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Grief.
2.Corr CA. Should we incorporate the work of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in our current teaching and practice and, if so, how? Omega (Westport). 2021;83(4):706-728. doi:10.1177/0030222819865397
Dec 13, 2022 · Complicated grief is like being in an ongoing, heightened state of mourning that keeps you from healing. Signs and symptoms of complicated grief may include: Intense sorrow, pain and rumination over the loss of your loved one. Focus on little else but your loved one's death.
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Nov 18, 2023 · Psychology of meaning in life and existential psychology are concerned with how an individual experiences life as meaningful (or is in crisis in terms of meaning) and how it contributes to such key psychological aspects such as well-being, happiness, and resilience.
