Grief Support

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

How to Handle Grief

While the grieving process is different for each of us, we all experience some common feelings as we work toward healing from our loss.

Person sitting on a bench grieving

Stage 1

Denial

When you're in the denial stage, it's easy to be consumed by disbelief about what's happened. Pushing the reality aside for a while is a normal part of grieving, it lets you take in only as much as you're able to handle at the time. As the denial begins to fade, your feelings slowly start to surface, and the healing process begins.

Stage 2

Anger

There may come a time when you feel resentment or anger. You might search for someone or something to blame, yourself, a doctor, even the person who passed, for leaving. These feelings are completely normal and common in grief. You're not alone in having them.

Angry woman with man trying to comfort woman
couple at table talking

Bargaining

Stage 3

There may come a time when you feel guilty about your loved one's passing, telling yourself something could have been done differently, or bargaining, even praying, for a different outcome. Try not to get lost in the "if onlys." When you're ready, try to meet the situation with a more open, accepting mind.

Stage 4

Depression

There may be a period where you feel empty, weighed down by a sadness that feels like it won't lift. Some people find themselves questioning whether things will ever feel normal again. These feelings are one of the most common responses to loss, not something to push away or feel ashamed of. Accepting that your loved one isn't coming back is one of the hardest parts of grief, and it's okay to lean on others, a friend, a support group, or a counselor, while you find your way through it.



If grief ever feels like more than sadness, if it turns into thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988, anytime, day or night. You don't have to carry this alone.

Two people sit across a table, holding hands in a quiet counseling setting.
Two people walking hand in hand on a sunlit park path at dawn

Stage 5

Acceptance

Acceptance is often misunderstood as feeling "fine" again, it isn't that. It's coming to terms with a new reality, one where your loved one is no longer physically present. Adjusting to that can be uncomfortable, and you may find yourself trying to live as though nothing changed. In time, acceptance helps you readjust. Finding peace and living your life again isn't a betrayal of your loved one, it's natural to grow, change, and move forward, in your own time.