When navigating grief, many people go through 5 stages:

1. Denial/Isolation – A defence mechanism against the initial pain of loss. It might look like not acknowledging the loss, pretending everything is okay, or cutting yourself off from everything that reminds you of your loss.
2. Anger – When we are forced to confront our loss, anger often takes the place of denial. We might lash out at people we don’t mean to, become bitter over small disagreements, and carry a feeling of unfairness with us wherever we go.
3. Bargaining – After the anger drains out, we might try to change our circumstances through bargaining. Whether this bargaining is directed towards a religion/spiritual practice, the people in our lives, or ourselves, it can have debilitating effects on our lives.
4. Depression – This stage is where we begin to feel the full weight of our loss. Loss is part of the human experience, but that does not make it easier to go through.
5. Acceptance – This is the end goal of grief counselling, where you can honor the memory of your loved one without feeling the pain. The people we’ve lost should be remembered, but grief can often blur the image of them. Acceptance is the full circle of grief, where we’ve had time to feel the pain and come out of it stronger and healthier.