7 stages of Grief

This is information that came from one of my college classes and I wanted to share this with all of you.

It is important to interpret the stages loosely, and expect much individual variation.  There is no neat progression from one stage to the next.  In reality, there is much looping back, or stages can hit at the same time, or occur out of order.  So why bother with stage models at all? Because they are a good general guide of what to expect.

For example, generally, a long period of "depression" (not clinical depression), isolation, and loneliness happen late in the grief process, months after the tragedy strikes.  It actually is normal and expected for you to be very depressed and sad eight months later.

Outsiders do not understand this, and feel that it should be time for you to "get over it" and rejoin the land of the living.  Just knowing that your dsire to be alone with your sad reflections at this time is normal will help you deal with outside pressures.  You are acting normally.  They just don't "get it".

HERE IS THE GRIEF MODEL CALLED "THE 7 STAGES OF GRIEF":

1.  SHOCK & DENIAL -

You will probably react to learning of the loss with numbed disbelief.  You may deny the realitgy of the loss at some levelk, in order to avoid the pain.  Shock provides emotional protection from being overwhelmed all at once.  This may last for weeks.  Continued....

2.