The epidemic disrupted our daily lives, including our ability to go to school, work, socialize, and more. It has resulted in deaths worldwide and the disruption of everyday life. The recent homicide of Georges Floyd has brought attention to police brutality, killing persons of color, and racial and social inequality. Along with the normal stresses of things like exams and job hunting, the severity of civil disturbance brings grief over countless lives lost.
In his book On Death and Dying, published in 1969, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross described the five phases of mourning. Grief is often associated with losing a loved one, but it may occur every time our idealized events do not match our experience. The five phases of grief—denial, anger, making deals, anxiety, and acceptance—can be repeated (sometimes rapidly) in the face of prolonged, catastrophic loss. These are our defensive and coping mechanisms when we try to adjust to something new. Even if all grievers share universal truths, the specifics of their journey through the phases of loss might vary widely. Stress, trauma, and bereavement are an overpowering combination, and our emotional and physical well-being suffer as a result. The stress response, the body's and brain's normal reaction to perceived danger, constantly influences our psyches and bodies. It causes one's body to produce adrenaline and cortisol stress hormones, which interfere with sleep, appetite, and overall performance.
After Swiss-American psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross published her theory of mourning in the book "On Death and Dying," it became known as the Kubler-Ross model. The five phases of mourning were initially developed for persons who were terminally sick, but they have now been used for other types of loss as well. Although the 5 phases of mourning hypothesis have received the most attention, it is by no means the only one. There are many more, some as simple as two phases and as complex as seven.
The feeling of loss and despair may be devastating. A common reaction to intense and unexpected sensations is the denial of the loss or change. Delaying acceptance of the news buys us some mental space to comprehend it. As a typical form of self-defense, this helps reduce the emotional impact of the crisis. However, once people go through the phase of denial, the suppressed feelings they have been trying to suppress will begin to surface. Many feelings of loss that may have been tried to suppress will surface. Even though it is necessary, the grieving process may be challenging.
Anger is a kind of emotional masking, unlike denial, which may be seen as a form of coping. Many of the feelings and hurts you carry are hidden by the anger you feel. Taking your frustrations on others, including the deceased, a former partner, or a former employer, is possible. Angry venting may even extend to inanimate things. Your intellect tells you the person you are angry with is innocent, but your gut tells you to take out your frustrations on them anyhow. Bitterness and resentment are only two ways that anger may disguise itself, and the emotion is not anger in the traditional sense.
Feeling exposed and powerless during grieving is normal. It is normal to search for methods to feel like one can influence the situation when you are feeling out of control, especially if you are experiencing strong emotions. It is common to use phrases like "what if" and "if only" while in the acceptance phase of sorrow.
Anxiety may seem passive compared to the more dynamic phases of mourning, such as anger and making deals. It is normal to attempt to outrun your feelings of grief in the initial phases of the grieving process. However, we may be in a better place to accept and deal with them now. Isolating oneself from people is another option for dealing with the pain of loss.
When grieving, acceptance is not always a positive or hopeful process. In no way does this imply that you are beyond your sadness or loss. In any case, it indicates that you have come to terms with it and know how to incorporate it into your life moving forward.
There is not one phase that everyone agrees is the worst. Each person deals with loss uniquely, and the most difficult part of grieving might differ for each individual and unique circumstances.
A lack of emotional response characterizes the Combined States of Shock and denial.
One Could Feel that Your Loss is too much to take, and you might worry that your emotional demands are making others' life more difficult.
One may strike out in anger, promising Heaven or higher authority that you would do everything they want if they only take away these emotions or fix the problem.
Anxiety This might be a time of withdrawing from others as you take stock of your life and grieve.
The Turning Point by now, negative emotions like wrath and anguish have subsided, and you are left with a sense of peace and contentment.
Rebuilding and Processing We may start to put my life back together again.
A slow but steady Realization that one can adapt to the new lifestyle, coupled with a sense of optimism about the future.
When someone we care about dies, it is normal to feel a wide range of emotions, including grief. Everyone grieves uniquely, but learning about the many phases of grief may help you prepare for and make sense of the range of emotions you may feel. The mourning process may also help you gain insight into your needs. The road to acceptance and healing might be smoother if you have a firm grasp of the phases of grief. Understanding that no one goes through sorrow similarly is crucial to comprehend the process. The emotions we experience during this period of loss are unique to each. It might take a few weeks, or it could take years, to get over your loss. A mental health expert can help us sort through the thoughts and feelings and find stability amid these profoundly significant experiences if we decide they need assistance dealing with the emotions and changes.