The Five Stages of Grief

December 25, 2010 - In 1969, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross introduced what has become known as the five stages of grief. The five stages are:

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

The model was originally used to describe the process that people go through when suffering from terminal illness, but was later expanded to other personal losses such as death of a loved one, break up and divorce, job loss, etc. Kubler-Ross explained that while not everyone will experience all five stages at a time of loss, most people experience at least two of the stages and many experience a roller coaster effect - that is going back and forth between the different stages.

I don't know where I am on this spectrum. Over the past 12 hours, I think I have experienced all five stages. There were times when I'm definitely in denial. I was angry at times but mostly just sad and disappointed. I've cried and yelled. I've tried to tell myself it will be okay and have tried to understand it, but I'm still confused as ever. Then it goes back to the denial stage all over again.

I feel like a part of me died. And I'm in mourning.

Its weird that I'm coming back to blogging after a few years away, but I think writing about the end of this once very important, if not the most important part of my life will hopefully help me deal with it better.