1. Denial: Used by almost all patients in some form. It is a usually temporary shock response to bad news. ... People can slip back into this stage when there are new developments or the person feels they can no longer cope.
2. Anger: Different ways of expression
-... "Why me?" Feeling that others are more deserving.
-Envy of others: Other people don't seem to care, they are enjoying life while the dying person experiences pain. Others aren't dying. Anger at [the universe/God].
-Projected on environment: Anger towards doctors, nurses, and families.
3. Bargaining: A brief stage, hard to study because it is often between patient and [the Universe/God].
-Attempts to postpone: "If only I could live to see . . ."
4. Depression: ...
5. Acceptance: This is not a "happy" stage, it is usually void of feelings. It takes a while to reach this stage and a person who fights until the end will not reach it. It consists of basically giving up and realizing that death is inevitable.
* Hope is an important aspect of all stages. A person's hope can help them through difficult times.
http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/book ... grief.html
also:
it is common to feel . . .
* like you are "going crazy"
* unable to focus or concentrate
* irritable or angry (at the deceased, oneself, others, higher powers)
* frustrated or misunderstood
* anxious, nervous, or fearful
* like you want to "escape"
* guilt or remorse
* ambivalence
* numbness
http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/book ... grief.html