{"id":408,"date":"2014-09-29T21:28:33","date_gmt":"2014-09-29T21:28:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/lifespandevelopment1x1\/?post_type=chapter&p=408"},"modified":"2016-03-17T03:32:53","modified_gmt":"2016-03-17T03:32:53","slug":"five-stages-of-loss","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/atd-herkimer-developmentalpsych\/chapter\/five-stages-of-loss\/","title":{"raw":"Five Stages of Loss","rendered":"Five Stages of Loss"},"content":{"raw":"Kubler-Ross\u00a0<\/strong>(1969, 1975) describes five stages of loss experienced by someone who faces the news of their impending death.\u00a0These \"stages\" are not really stages that a person goes through in order or only once; nor are they stages that occur with the same intensity.\u00a0Indeed, the process of death is influenced by a person's life experiences, the timing of their death in relation to life events, the predictability of their death based on health or illness, their belief system, and their assessment of the quality of their own life.\u00a0Nevertheless, these stages help us to understand and recognize some of what a dying person experiences psychologically.\u00a0And by understanding, we are more equipped to support that person as they die.\r\n

Denial<\/strong>\u00a0is often the first reaction to overwhelming, unimaginable news.\u00a0Denial, or disbelief or shock, protects us by allowing such news to enter slowly and to give us time to come to grips with what is taking place.\u00a0The person who receives positive test results for life-threatening conditions may question the results, seek second opinions, or may simply feel a sense of disbelief psychologically even though they know that the results are true.<\/p>\r\n

Anger<\/strong>\u00a0also provides us with protection in that being angry energizes us to fight against something and gives structure to a situation that may be thrusting us into the unknown.\u00a0It is much easier to be angry than to be sad or in pain or depressed.\u00a0It helps us to temporarily believe that we have a sense of control over our future and to feel that we have at least expressed our rage about how unfair life can be.\u00a0Anger can be focused on a person, a health care provider, at God, or at the world in general.\u00a0And it can be expressed over issues that have nothing to do with our death; consequently, being in this stage of loss is not always obvious.<\/p>\r\n

Bargaining<\/strong>\u00a0involves trying to think of what could be done to turn the situation around.\u00a0Living better, devoting self to a cause, being a better friend, parent, or spouse, are all agreements one might willingly commit to if doing so would lengthen life.\u00a0Asking to just live long enough to witness a family event or finish a task are examples of bargaining.<\/p>\r\n

Depression<\/strong>\u00a0is sadness and sadness is appropriate for such an event.\u00a0Feeling the full weight of loss, crying, and losing interest in the outside world is an important part of the process of dying.\u00a0This depression makes others feel very uncomfortable and family members may try to console their loved one.\u00a0 Sometimes hospice care may include the use of antidepressants to reduce depression during this stage.<\/p>\r\n

Acceptance<\/strong>\u00a0involves learning how to carry on and to incorporate this aspect of the life span into daily existence.\u00a0Reaching acceptance does not in any way imply that people who are dying are happy about it or content with it.\u00a0It means that they are facing it and continuing to make arrangements and to say what they wish to say to others.\u00a0Some terminally ill people find that they live life more fully than ever before after they come to this stage.<\/p>\r\nWe no longer think that there is a \"right way\" to experience the loss.\u00a0 People move through a variety of stages with different frequency and in various ways.","rendered":"

Kubler-Ross\u00a0<\/strong>(1969, 1975) describes five stages of loss experienced by someone who faces the news of their impending death.\u00a0These “stages” are not really stages that a person goes through in order or only once; nor are they stages that occur with the same intensity.\u00a0Indeed, the process of death is influenced by a person’s life experiences, the timing of their death in relation to life events, the predictability of their death based on health or illness, their belief system, and their assessment of the quality of their own life.\u00a0Nevertheless, these stages help us to understand and recognize some of what a dying person experiences psychologically.\u00a0And by understanding, we are more equipped to support that person as they die.<\/p>\n

Denial<\/strong>\u00a0is often the first reaction to overwhelming, unimaginable news.\u00a0Denial, or disbelief or shock, protects us by allowing such news to enter slowly and to give us time to come to grips with what is taking place.\u00a0The person who receives positive test results for life-threatening conditions may question the results, seek second opinions, or may simply feel a sense of disbelief psychologically even though they know that the results are true.<\/p>\n

Anger<\/strong>\u00a0also provides us with protection in that being angry energizes us to fight against something and gives structure to a situation that may be thrusting us into the unknown.\u00a0It is much easier to be angry than to be sad or in pain or depressed.\u00a0It helps us to temporarily believe that we have a sense of control over our future and to feel that we have at least expressed our rage about how unfair life can be.\u00a0Anger can be focused on a person, a health care provider, at God, or at the world in general.\u00a0And it can be expressed over issues that have nothing to do with our death; consequently, being in this stage of loss is not always obvious.<\/p>\n

Bargaining<\/strong>\u00a0involves trying to think of what could be done to turn the situation around.\u00a0Living better, devoting self to a cause, being a better friend, parent, or spouse, are all agreements one might willingly commit to if doing so would lengthen life.\u00a0Asking to just live long enough to witness a family event or finish a task are examples of bargaining.<\/p>\n

Depression<\/strong>\u00a0is sadness and sadness is appropriate for such an event.\u00a0Feeling the full weight of loss, crying, and losing interest in the outside world is an important part of the process of dying.\u00a0This depression makes others feel very uncomfortable and family members may try to console their loved one.\u00a0 Sometimes hospice care may include the use of antidepressants to reduce depression during this stage.<\/p>\n

Acceptance<\/strong>\u00a0involves learning how to carry on and to incorporate this aspect of the life span into daily existence.\u00a0Reaching acceptance does not in any way imply that people who are dying are happy about it or content with it.\u00a0It means that they are facing it and continuing to make arrangements and to say what they wish to say to others.\u00a0Some terminally ill people find that they live life more fully than ever before after they come to this stage.<\/p>\n

We no longer think that there is a “right way” to experience the loss.\u00a0 People move through a variety of stages with different frequency and in various ways.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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