Hey guys!!! You may remember the article I did a long time ago called Ways to Deal with Loss. Today I decided that I would share with y’all the five stages of loss. But first I would like to define what I mean by loss. When I say ‘loss’ it can mean many different things. Loss could mean the passing of a friend or family member, or it could mean having to say goodbye to a loved friend due to either you or them moving away. Usually, if you can handle the first two phases in a healthy way you won’t have to deal with the last three stages (which are the worst). I hope I can help a lot of y’all out by saving you from the last three stages. So here are the stages of loss and how you can deal with them in a healthy Christian way.
1. Denial
Denial is the first stage of grief, it is normal and should not be punished. It can be dangerous for the relationship between you and the person you are losing. To prevent a dent in the relationship you can sit down with the friend or family member and talk through the details. If this is not possible then you can always talk to your parents or a trusted adult about the loss and discuss the details with them instead. It is important to be able to understand all the details so it clears things up and allows you to understand that everything you're experiencing is real.
2. Anger
You will obviously be angry and hurt by the loss. Anger is not a sin, but it can be if not controlled. If your anger gets out of control then sin can develop through the anger. There are always Bible verses that can help get you through this stage. A couple that really do help are Psalm 18:2, 1st Peter 5:6-7, & Philippians 4:6.
3. Bargaining
This stage is probably the one that leads to the most sin and deceit. This one takes time to get through and needs to be handled carefully. You will bargain with God about why he had to take the family member/ friend out of your life. The reason this one is dangerous is that it can turn into accusing God for ruining your life. There is a lot you can do to get through this phase. You can always pray and tell God that it was hard for you to lose the friend/ family member that you lost or are losing. He already knows your grief and he will cry with you. He always has a plan and sometimes that plan doesn’t always line up with our plan, but it always works out for good.
4. Depression/sadness
Okay, this one depends on how hard the loss was on you. This stage also comes in many different forms. Basically this type of depression means feeling as if you can't go on without the person in your life. Most of the time this stage only applies for a passing of a loved one, but there are some cases where it could include a move. You can always talk to a trusted adult about your sadness and they will help you get through it in a healthy way.
5. Acceptance
This one is the hardest, yet the sweetest stage. It can be hard in the sense that you know you're willing to move on, which can be hard to process. It can be sweet in the sense that you know all your grief has helped you get to this point and that you know it's a new chapter in your life. If it is possible to meet with the family member or friend that you are losing then try to meet with them and spend as much time as possible with them.
Thanks for reading!!!!! I hope that this has helped or will help you get through the five difficult stages of grief. Thank y’all!!!
-Heather🏉