MIRANDA, PATRICIA MAE T.

NCM117A MODULE 5
BSN 3B4

The Theory of Grief by Dr. Kubler-Ross

The state of grief can manifest in diverse forms. Every individual has different aspects of
grieving. For some people, you won't find any speck of tears in their eyes, yet you'll still recognize
how unmotivated and sad they are due to the devastating situations they've encountered.
Meanwhile, some of us couldn't stop ourselves from bursting into tears due to the losses of our
loved ones. Regardless of different manifestations of bereavement, these emotions are still valid
and serve as our natural response to process the situation engulfing us. Therefore, we must
enforce emotional support and a sense of empathy to the person who has been struggling to cope
with the overwhelming situation.
A specialist named Dr. Kubler-Ross proposed this theory to analyze and identify how the
grieving process works using the five stages, namely: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and
acceptance. Denial is a coping mechanism that we frequently employ when traumatic events or
the loss of loved ones occur. We reach this stage because our brain protects itself until it has time
to process and accept the difficult situation. Anger emerges after we process the information and
accept the loss. We may believe that our anger is irrational, and we may even blame ourselves
for it, but these frustrations are valid and common attributes of grief.
A sense of guilt and striking a deal with ourselves to cope with our pain is a part of the
bargaining stage. Depression occurs when we realize our life is forever changed. As a result, we
feel deep sadness and torment from the idea of continuing our life without our loved ones. It is
considered a normal response for people who experience loss, but it doesn't mean that these
characteristics of grief should let it pass away or be ignored.
Acceptance is the final stage of grief in which we accept that the loss has occurred and
that we cannot change it. We're starting to deal with our frustrations and sadness about the
situation, but that doesn't mean we crossed the finish line. As we restart our lives, it is still an
ongoing process. These stages that I have mentioned are not systematic directions that occur
during our loss; they are simply a starting point to understand that these emotions are reasonable
as we face major changes and the essence of our lives.