What are the four stages of grief?

The (5) stages Kubler-Ross identified are:

Denial (this isn't happening to me!)

Anger (why is this happening to me?)

Bargaining (I promise I'll be a better person if...)

Depression (I don't care anymore)

Acceptance (I'm ready for whatever comes)

Shock - Disbelief - Anger - Desolation

~ Shock and Disbelief
~ Depression and Apathy
~ Expression of Grief
~ Signs of Recovery

best of luck my friend

Stage theories and processes

1 Shock and numbness
2 Yearning and searching
3 Disorganization and despair
4 Reorganization

There is no set way to grieve,
I lost my daughter 5 years ago,
I only started grieving 3 years after I lost her.
Everyones different,
Some people feel like they have to be strong for others,
Or get told to get over it like I did repeatidly.

Anger
Denial
Desperation
Resignation

I HAD THIS BEFORE, MAD AT THE PERSON WHO DIED, MAD AT YOURSELF FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO CHANGE THINGS. FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF, SORRY I CAN'T REMEMBER ALL OF THEM. I DO KNOW YOU DON'T ALWAYS GO THROUGH THEM IN ORDER AND YOU CAN ALSO BACK SLIDE AND GO THROUGH THEM AGAIN. THE YEARS DO HELP. BUT YOU NEVER FORGET.

1. Denial or stunned silence - you can't beleive that the person has gone
2. Anger - why did they have to be taken away etc...
3. Sorrow and Grief - ranges from crying to periods of quiet reflection on that person who has passed
4. Gradual acceptance - that the person is not coming back, but you were blessed to know them

dont think its easy to define 4 stages specifically , its different in every case.

shock and disbelief, denial

upset and possibly anger

eventually but not always, some sort of acceptance

for me it included all these things and more

denial,anger,acceptance,move on

1 numbness
2 outpouring of grief
3 acceptance
4 move on

Five Stages Of Grief
1. Denial and Isolation.
2. Anger.
3. Bargaining.
4. Depression.
5. Acceptance.

When my dad died I wouldn't accept it, then I was angry at him for dying and then I felt so alone not lonely and just missing him so much and I still miss my dad and that was 24yrs ago

Misery, misery, misery and having to get used to it, thats what ive found anyway!
Go on the Cruse website, theres loads of help on there, just dont ask for any counselling, Ive been on their list for about 3 months now, they told me 6 weeks at the most because i was high priority, still havent heard anything!

Yes, there are five recognised stages of grieving, as previously quoted, and the norm to work through these is processes is accepted as approximately 2 years.

There are various theories on this - as you can see from previous answers. They are not without criticism. No one theory is exact and complete because, as human beings, we all vary in our responses. However the stages can be helpful tools to enable us to gauge how people are responding.

The theory I like best is The Bereavemnt Tasks by Worden. Each task needs to be established before the next can start.

1) Accepting and owning the reality of the loss - shock, numbness, viewing the body.

The Christian funeral service can help people face death and separation but also within the context of hope by commitment into God's hands who brings new life.

2) Owning & experiencing the pain of grief - feeling the impact. It can be unhelpful not to go through this, eg keeping 'stiff upper lip' or triumphalistic Christian faith.

3) Adjusting to life where the dead person is missing - sorting the estate and reconstructing life.

4) Withdraw emotional energy and reinvest in new ways of living.

I hope this helps. If you are asking because you are bereaved and looking for help - then I hope that you find comfort and strength and peace.
If you are asking for academic reasons - then good luck with your research and I hope you will put it to good use helping other people.

Actually there are 5 stages of grief as defined by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, M.D. as outlined in her book "On Death and Dying", Macmillan Publishing Company, 1969:

1) Denial,

2) Anger,

3) Bargaining,

4) Depression,

5) Acceptance.

These changes can occur in any form of transition in life. Be it death as the person dying, the death of a loved one, going from able-bodied to disabled, or any other major traumatic transition.

I knew Dr. Kubler-Ross, M.D. for many years, she was a very good and valued friend. She is missed very much. But she died as she lived and as she taught.

With most sincerity,

Rev. Dr. John Benjamin Tatum, D.D., Ph.D.
(Chaplain - Trained in Grief Counseling by Dr. Kubler-Ross)
http://home.att.net/~JBT-DMC/Pastoral.ht...

The weird thing about the stages of grief is that you don't simply progress through them in that set pattern. The stage changes frequently and you go back and forth... just as you think things are improving.
The shock is the initial response but can still grab you with a big dose of panic thrown in a year later. The anger can just keep going and the sadness creeps up on you when you least expect it.

Denial and Isolation.
At first, we tend to deny the loss has taken place, and may withdraw from our usual social contacts. This stage may last a few moments, or longer.
Anger.
The grieving person may then be furious at the person who inflicted the hurt (even if she's dead), or at the world, for letting it happen. He may be angry with himself for letting the event take place, even if, realistically, nothing could have stopped it.
Bargaining.
Now the grieving person may make bargains with God, asking, "If I do this, will you take away the loss?"
Depression.
The person feels numb, although anger and sadness may remain underneath.
Acceptance.
This is when the anger, sadness and mourning have tapered off. The person simply accepts the reality of the loss.

According to Dr. Phil,
The Four Stages of Grief
According to Dr. Phil, the biggest challenge people who have experienced loss will deal with is getting their minds around what they are facing. If you are in the grieving process, you can expect to go through these four stages:

1. Shock: Feeling numb. You may wake up wondering, "Is this real?"

2. Denial: Being unable to accept the situation. You may find yourself thinking, "This can't be happening. It's not real."

3. Anger: Wanting to lash out at everyone. You may continually ask, "How can this happen?"

4. Resolution: Feeling like there is a way past the grief, an end to the sadness. You may say to yourself, "I will get through this."

I lost my son in an accident 6months ago i can tell you it's hell hell hell and more hell.I don't want to believe he's gone, i blame myself ( if only), the pain that want go away, the heart ache , the sleep that won't come, missing him, wanting to tell him how much you love him, wanting to hold him, speak to him one more time, wanting to turn back the clock and change things you know you can't change.The feeling of wanting to join him,it goes on and on. They say time is a great healer but how long is time. If you are grieving my heart goes out to you. I don't think you can say there are stages of grieving,everyone will grieve in their own way and will find their own way of coping, to me i will grieve for my son for the rest of my life. My name is greenangel after my son

1. Sad.
2. A bit sadder.
3. Sad and a bit miffed.
4. Happy. All over.