Coping with loss is never easy. However, according to Cornelius, Dodd & Connell Inc. Funeral Home, there are frameworks that can shed light on the emotional confusion. Since 1900, this funeral home has served the Middletown, NY, community with dedicated funeral services. One of the most helpful models they've encountered is the one proposed by psychiatrist Elizabeth Kübler-Ross. Commonly known as the "5 Stages of Grief", it explains how people tend to mourn their losses.

A Guide to the Stages of Grief

1. Denial

For most people, losses are initially accompanied by disbelief. Whether the moment seems imminent or not, it feels so abrupt and shocking that many refuse to believe the loss is real. This can often lead to isolation as a means of protection from the truth.

2. Anger

The refusal of the truth often leads to frustrated dissent towards the situation. Sometimes the anger is all-consuming and widespread, aimed at everybody and anybody; other times it can even be directed at the person who has or will soon pass away. The person experiencing the anger often knows it's irrational, which can ultimately lead to guilt, then — unfortunately — more anger.

3. Bargaining

Negotiation attempts are another way people have coped with death. They tell themselves or a higher power that they would be willing to sacrifice everything if it meant bringing back their loved one. Or, they engage in "if only" declarations, such as "if only we had done more, this wouldn't have happened."

4. Depression

Encompassing feelings of emptiness, anxiety, sadness, guilt, and hopelessness, depression can manifest itself in various ways for different people. For some, they may express outright statements of despair, while others may simply seem more sluggish and withdrawn.

5. Acceptance

By no means a return to a state of comfort, acceptance is more about stability and calmness. It involves learning how to live with the reality of the situation. For most, the pain of the loss will never fully subside, but it can be managed.

Certain stages may last longer than others, but whatever the case may be, they are still useful in understanding sorrow. For those in the Middletown area who have recently experienced loss, Cornelius, Dodd & Connell Inc. Funeral Home is available to help. Compassionate and experienced, their staff will work with you every step of the way. They also offer funeral pre-planning services. Their website has more information and resources, but if you have any questions, call them at (845) 343-2142.