• You can experience a range of emotions during grief.upset girl image by Vasiliy Koval from Fotolia.com
  
  The loss of a loved one or the knowing you have a terminal illness are often traumatic experiences that require special attention to overcome. One model that explains how individuals react to death and dying is well-respected psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross' five stages of grief, first outlined in her book "On Death and Dying." According to Kübler-Ross and David Kessler, who is also an expert, lecturer and author on the subject of grief, there is no typical response to grief. Therefore, the five stages should not be interpreted as a linear time-model, nor a prescriptive set of behaviors. Instead, the different stages are meant to familiarize you with the many facets of grieving in order to help you with a difficult loss.
  
  

Stage One: Denial

• The initial stages of grief involve a conscious or unconscious refusal to acknowledge the facts of the loss or approaching death. This denial is a natural self-defense mechanism that helps pace your acceptance of a new and difficult reality.
  
  

Stage Two: Anger

• As you emerge out of denial, you can begin to feel anger at the reality of your situation. This anger can be directed at the person responsible for your loss, or at the world in general or even a higher power such as God. These feelings do not require any rational justification; rather, they are important as a release and coping mechanism. Since anger can be directed at someone or something, this connection helps provide structure to your grief.
  
  

Stage Three: Bargaining

• Bargaining is another expression of grief, where you make use of hypothetical situations to negotiate a kind of deal---often with God---to reverse or erase your loss. Bargaining is often accompanied by feelings of guilt that you could have done something different to prevent the death.
  
  

Stage Four: Depression

• The depressive stage of grief should not be confused as a mental illness but rather another appropriate response to trauma and part of the healing process. In addition to sadness and anger, you experience long periods of numbness and isolation during depression, lacking motivation to go on with your present life.
  
  

Stage Five: Acceptance

• The acceptance of a loss does not necessarily mean that you finally feel alright again. Instead, this stage of grief is marked by a reduction of sadness and anger and the acceptance of a new, permanent reality where the person lost no longer physically exists. This recognition then allows you to start reorganizing your life.