Stages of Dying

reply to each discussion forumn 150 words for each. substanial replies not just agreeing with them

1. In my opinion and from experiencing both losing my career (early retirement), losing an organ through Cancer, and going through a long divorce. Kubler-Ross’ five psychological stages of dying apply to any significant loss in life. I remember going through my divorce, it felt like my current life had died, but my ex still being alive was hard to swallow because there was always this lingering hope that it could have worked out. Death brings an absolute solution to the loss, but having that option alive and breathing was really hard for me to accept. I can see why dying would be hard to accept. Even going through Cancer, I had a snippet of a life/death situation and I went through denial, isolation, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Every journey throughout life comes with these psychological stages because there is always a beginning and an end, that is the only 100% guarantee.

Kubler-Ross also theorized that there is not a one size fits all criteria of dying. That it is based on the individual’s emotional intensity and that each stage isn’t experienced in sequence, but emotions may overlap and be felt in different order. Her theory stands true when compared to my own experiences of losses (Corr, 2020).

I have gone through each stage, turned around and repeated some stages over. Grief is a normal response to loss and I can say I grieved longer than I should have due to not understanding what I was feeling and going through. My divorce helped me process my forced retirement from the Army and my journey through Cancer because I understood the willingness of letting go of the life that was, in order to accept the life that I have now. I hope people accept that the only promise we have in life is death, and when you accept that, you can finally live in the now. Easier said than done, but the peace of mind is priceless.

Corr, C. A. (2020, December 2). Elisabeth Ku ̈bler-Ross and the “Five Stages” Model in a Sampling of Recent American Textbooks. Omega : Journal of Death and Dying.

2. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s model of the five psychological stages of dying has been widely used and applied to different areas of life beyond death and dying, including other significant losses such as the loss of a job or divorce. While the original model was developed to explain how individuals cope with the end of life, its stages of denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance can also apply to the grieving process that people go through after experiencing significant losses.

According to Kubler-Ross’s model, individuals experiencing loss typically go through a range of emotions and reactions that often overlap and do not occur in a specific order. Similarly, individuals who experience significant losses such as the loss of a job or a divorce may go through similar emotions and reactions, such as denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The stages can be experienced in any order and may overlap, and individuals may need to rework the stages as they navigate their way through the grieving process.

Research has shown that the five stages model is useful in understanding the grief and coping process of individuals experiencing a variety of significant losses, including the loss of a job or a divorce. For example, a study by Worden (2009) found that individuals experiencing the loss of a job or a divorce may experience similar emotions and reactions to those in the Kubler-Ross model. The study also found that individuals experiencing loss may need support to move through the stages and rework them as necessary.

In conclusion, while the Kubler-Ross model was originally developed to explain how individuals cope with the end of life, its stages can also apply to other significant losses, such as the loss of a job or a divorce. The model provides a useful framework for understanding the range of emotions and reactions that individuals may experience when faced with significant losses. As with death and dying, individuals who experience other significant losses may need support to navigate the stages and rework them as necessary.

Very Respectfully,

A. Hill

Reference

Worden, J. W. (2009). Grief counseling and grief therapy: A handbook for the mental health practitioner (4th ed.). Springer Publishing Company.

Lund, D. A., Caserta, M. S., & Dimond, M. F. (1988). The grief experience following job loss: Implications for intervention. Journal of Employment Counseling, 25(3), 102-109.

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