Analysis of the Five Stages of Grief by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Grief Research Paper
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Grief Research Paper
Analysis of the Five Stages of Grief by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
People deal with change differently, but according to Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, the stages of grief are the same. The differences that people exhibit happen mainly because people do not move from one stage to the next in a linear manner. In her book, Elizabeth called the stages defense mechanisms that people often employ to either avoid the imminent pain or to accept the sudden change in their lives. As per her claims, it is possible to occupy different stages at the same time, and it is also possible to fall back to the same stage even after one was thought to have already passed it. The duration of each period is not specific, and while some go through the stages smoothly and take less time, others take longer and find it hard even to go through a single stage. In a perfect or ideal situation, a linear movement through the stages would be good, but the innate differences in people mean that some people will always have problems moving from one stage to the next.
The first stage in Elizabeth’s grief model is denial, and in this stage, people never seem to accept the change. At this stage, the victims often exhibit shock and try their best to hold on to a false reality while pushing back the truth hoping that it will eventually go away (Axelrod, 2006). The second stage in the model is anger. Healing takes time, and according to Elizabeth, anger is necessary when dealing with loss or rapid change. According to Axelrod (2006), when it finally dawns on an individual that the loss or change is real, denial often turns to anger and people start blaming themselves, their circumstance, their boss, and at times God. Bargaining is the third stage, and here, people often start negotiating with either God or other superpowers that they believe in. Most people offer their lives for others while others only ask for the change to be postponed in exchange for “doing anything” from reforming to changing one’s lifestyle. According to grief.com, people find themselves “lost in a maze of “if only” or “what if” statements” because in their mind, because in their minds they still believe that they are the cause of the loss or change (2016). Depression finally settles in after one finds out that the loss is imminent no matter what they offer in return. At this stage, people become demotivated and lack their verve and desire to live. People start coming to terms with the loss or the change and what they will miss or leave behind becomes apparent. Later when it now becomes clear that the loss or change is imminent, acceptance becomes evident. Acceptance primarily means that people start to be at peace with the loss or change and view it differently than they did in the initial stages.
The Hindu and Chinese Culture and Death
In the Hindu culture, once someone dies, people are advised to avoid unnecessary touching of the body because as per the culture it is impure (EverPlans, 2016). Funeral preparations often begin as soon as possible, and the dea...