The Famous Five Stages

Ever since my wife died in 2013  I have had  questions about the five stages of grief that the counselors talk about. They are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.  They came from Elizabeth Kubler-Ross.  Her 1969 book, "On Death and Dying," made her name a household word.  We still hear about her today.


I was thinking, is there something wrong with me?  If I experienced those stages I got them in the wrong order and I'm not sure I went through any of them.  Except maybe acceptance,  which isn't really a stage for me.

This is one reason why I have so far avoided the various grief support groups. There's one at a church not far from me, moderated by a professional grief counselor who shows a video and leads the group in talking about it.  That kind of presentation can be very effective, but it doesn't work for me, no matter the subject at hand.  Just another of my quirks. Probably an introvert trait.

Be sure to read the comment below from a person who worked with Kubler-Ross.