Although funerals are meant for loved ones to say final goodbyes to those they’ve lost, it’s still natural to feel sadness long after the service. Many people go through five stages of grief to move from sorrow over the death to acceptance. So you understand these feelings and can identify them in others, here is a closer look at each stage of the grieving process. 

Understanding the 5 Stages of Grief

1. Denial

Whether expected or unexpected, the loss of someone special can be devastating. Many people go through denial to protect their mental health until they can gradually process what happened. When a person finally accepts they won’t see their loved one again, they can become overwhelmed with sadness. That’s why many people linger in the denial stage. 

2. Anger

As it can be difficult to cope with pain from the loss, many people turn to anger instead. This can manifest as blame or resentment toward the deceased as if they could have done something to prevent their death. To ignore true feelings of sadness, it’s not uncommon for people to also focus anger on surviving family members or friends. 

3. Bargaining

Bargaining is also used to put feelings of grief on the backburner. Instead of blaming the person for their death, an individual might try to control the situation by imagining a different outcome. In some cases, a person might question whether their intervention could have prevented the death. 

4. Depression

By the depression stage, a person slowly comes to terms with what happened and lets themselves finally feel the associated sadness. Immediately and long after the funeral, they might isolate themselves from friends and family to process the loss, grieve alone, and wonder how they will go on without the deceased in their life.

5. Acceptance

Allowing time to process their depression helps many people move on to acceptance over the loss. Instead of focusing on the fact the departed is gone, they can reflect on all the good times shared with them. This doesn’t mean a person no longer feels sadness. However, they can take comfort in knowing it’s possible to live without the departed and cherish the memories.

If you’ve lost a loved one in the Hamilton County, OH, area, contact the compassionate staff at Bolton & Lunsford Funeral Homes in Cincinnati. From writing obituaries to helping choose caskets, the funeral directors will assist in whatever way they can so you have more time to go through the stages of grief with family members. Learn more about funeral and memorial service options online, and call (513) 661-4059 to make arrangements.