Since the beginning of 2020, there has been a surge of lives lost and many people have experienced grief in response to the pandemic. We feel grief in tons of different ways such as losing a job, failing an exam, losing hard earned money, and the list goes on. The interesting thing about this is that, the most effective way to get through the 5 stages of grief, also known as DABDA.
Denial and Isolation
When we first hear any tough news, our first reaction is to immediately push the bad thought away, leave the room that is filled with all the tension and continue on with our day. After a little time however, the reality begins to sink in, yet being away from the truth is still comforting.
Anger
Expressing anger,sadness.or confusion are very common emotions that come upon us with grief. It makes sense to be angry with the situation, whether it is something that was in your control or was not, it is important to feel and work through it within yourself, so that you can come to terms with the reality of the situation.
Bargaining
In this stage, we try to find a solution within the problem. For example, if we lost a job we could try talking to the manager, offering them some sort of deal such as doing extra work for free, or not taking any time off. Another example could be, if someone is ill and admitted in the hospital, we may continuously ask the doctors to do more, offer them more money to keep trying. We get to this point of wanting to give it all up in order to make this one moment of pain and discomfort to just go away.
Depression
Following with the last stage, let’s say the person that was in the hospital ended up passing away or if you did not get your job back, even after all of your attempts. With the depression, all of that heaviness and pain sinks in with the reality of the situation. It is normal to feel down, less energetic, and intense sadness, however it is also important to understand the difference between clinical depression and grief.
Check out, the 5 Stages of Grief for more information.
Acceptance
With time, we end up coming to terms with the grief. This does not mean that we are no longer grieving or feeling sadness, it means that we have learned to cope with the pain and are willing to move on from the situation.
Remember, with support, patience and effort, you will be able to work through grief. It is important to ask for help when you need it.
Related Information: