Dealing With Grief. 7 Stages Of Grief

A Closer Look At The 7 Stages Of Grief

Unfortunately, many unplanned life transitions are not only unplanned, but emotionally traumatic, and resulting in secondary losses over a period of time. These secondary losses compound the grief, and may have similar financial consequences to the original event.

Losing your health, job, or marriage (through divorce or a death) can result in a prolonged period of grief, and at those times you do not have to try to go it alone. It is indeed wise to get help in order to most successfully move through the transition process, and rebuild and renew your life.

While grieving, you can be vulnerable to making unwise decisions with costly consequences; there is no reason to try to risk your assets and emotional well being when the Springboard Group is devoted entirely to helping people through difficult life transitions such as yours.

According to most experts, successfully coping with this type of loss involves going through seven different stages of grief. (Source: Recover-From-Grief.com, 2008)

These stages of grief include…

Shock and Denial: Characterized by the feeling of a numb disbelief or denial that the loss has even occurred; it is possible for this stage to last several weeks

Pain and Guilt: May be characterized by feeling as if you didn't do enough to prevent the loss; a very painful, yet necessary, stage

Anger and Bargaining: May involve lashing out at others in anger or trying to make deals to change the outcome, such as "I will go to church every day if you bring him back"
Depression and Reflection: Characterized by feelings of sadness and reflecting on the things you used to do with the person that was lost or the job that was lost
The Turning Point: Characterized by starting to calm down and get more organized

Problem Solving: Characterized by seeking out realistic solutions to the problems you are facing due to the loss

Acceptance: Characterized by accepting the loss, though that does not necessarily equate to happiness

Going through these stages of grief can be a long and painful process. In addition, it is important to note that everyone moves through this grieving process at his or her own pace. Therefore, you should never compare yourself to others who are in the grieving process.

Springboard's™ programs and services are designed for you, regardless of where you are in life's journey. We invite you to explore and share our resources with employers, groups, organizations, professionals or anyone supporting others through a transition. Visit us today at http://www.launchingnewlives.com/