The document discusses coping with life and death, including: 1. It describes the stages of grief according to the Kübler-Ross model: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. 2. It notes that children experience grief differently than adults and may show more behavioral signs like anger, sadness, and withdrawal. 3. It provides tips for coping with grief, such as allowing yourself time to grieve, talking about loved ones, and finding purpose.

1. By Rebecca (Cordeiro) Benting
HUM-172
Coping with Life & Death

2. Death is the end of life as we know it. It is the permanent termination of the biological
functions that sustain a living organism.
Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation,
malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury.

3.  Grief is the normal emotional response
to losing someone or something
important.
 The most common type of loss is the
death of a loved one, including a
grandparent, parent, sibling, relative, or
even a family pet. Families often have
rituals and customs designed to help
and support those dealing with the loss,
like funerals or friends bringing food.
 There are other types of loss that are
not as clear or concrete, however.
Examples include the loss of a job,
one’s sense of safety, or even good
health. Adults and children often feel a
sense of loss after a divorce, a natural
disaster, or other traumatic event. Many
feel loss when they move away from
family and friends or when a military

4. To Adults: To Children:
 Anger
 Shock, numbness, emptiness  Sadness
 Anger  Frequent crying
 Denial
 Sadness  Avoidance
 Crying  Confusion
 Changes in sleep
 Guilt
 Changes in appetite
 Changes in sleep  Strange dreams or nightmares
 Strange dreams or nightmares  Physical complaints
 Regression
 Changes in appetite
 Clinginess
 Lack of motivation  Guilt
 Absent-mindedness  Irritability
 Temper tantrums
 Desire to be alone  Acting out
 Refusing to go to school
 Social withdrawal
Everyone experiences grief differently. This list Children must also deal with a disruption to their routines and the
contains some of the most common ways people unavailability of family members, who are also dealing with their
feel. own grief and may not be as emotionally or physically available.

5. • Children tend to react differently to loss than adults. They may show more
behavioral and physical signs of grief.
• Preschool children do not tend to fully understand the nature of death and
may believe that their loved one will come back.
• Young children frequently engage in "magical thinking", meaning that they
believe they have more power than they do; they may believe that they
caused the loss by something they did or thought. (For example, a child may
believe that by wishing someone was dead, she is responsible for that
person’s death.)
• It is also common for children to believe that their loved one has returned in
the form of a ghost or spirit, or is still alive somewhere.

6. The Kübler-Ross model, commonly known as The Five Stages of Grief,
was first introduced by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her 1969 book, On Death
and Dying.
Included in her book was the Model of Coping with Dying, which she
based on research and interviews with more than 500 dying patients. It
describes, in five discrete stages, a process by which people cope and
deal with grief and tragedy, especially when diagnosed with a terminal
illness or experience a catastrophic loss. In addition to this, her book
brought mainstream awareness to the sensitivity required for better
treatment of individuals who are dealing with a fatal disease or illness.
Kübler-Ross added that it's important to note that these stages are not
meant to be complete or chronological. Not everyone who experiences a
life-threatening or life-altering event feels all five of the responses nor will
everyone who does experience them do so in the order in which they are
written. Reactions to illness, death, and loss are as unique as the person
experiencing them.
Kübler-Ross model
Not everyone goes through all of the steps or goes through them in a
linear fashion. Some steps may be bypassed entirely, others may be
"Kübler-Ross Model."
experienced in a different order, some mayMay. 2012.
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 02
be re-experienced again and
again and some may get stuck in one.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCbler-Ross_model>.

7. o Denial
o Anger
o Bargaining
o Depression
o Acceptance
The Five Stages of Grief

8. The first stage of grief is denial.
It is really the first of our reactions to any form of sudden loss. Depending on the
relationship we share to the subject of our loss, the more our lives may be uprooted or
altered.
It’s very common for people simply to try and initially deny the event to subconsciously
avoid sadness or the thought of pending mental struggles.
People in denial often withdraw from their normal social behavior and become isolated.
Denial has no set time frame or may never be felt at all but it is considered the first
stage of grief.

9. The second stage of grief is Anger.
People that are grieving often become upset with the person or situation which put
them in their grief state. After all, their life could now be in complete disarray. The path
of least resistance is anger as opposed to facing the consequences of a loss head on.
In the case of death, the anger is often focused toward the deceased for leaving that
person behind and unable to cope. Other times people become angry at themselves if
they feel they could have done something more to stop the loss from happening.

10. The third stage of grief is bargaining.
This is when those who are grieving are reaching out to the universe to make the pain go
away. It’s actually very normal and a sign that they are beginning to comprehend their
situation.
People will often try to make a deal with god and promise to do anything if the pain will
be taken away.

11. The fourth stage of grief is Depression.
Contrary to popular belief depression is something that may take some time to
develop. We often think we are depressed when a grief event first occurs but there is
usually a lot of shock and other emotions present before any real depression sets in.
The signs of depression due to grief usually appear when a sense of finality is realized.
This is not to be confused with clinical depression which may be chronic. Depression
due to grief is technically episodic even though it may last for a lengthy period of time.

12. The fifth stage of grief is acceptance.
This is the point where the person experiencing grief is no longer looking backward to
try and recover the life they once had with the deceased or other cause of their grief
episode.
It is not to say that they no longer feel the vast array of emotions brought on by their
grief, but they are ready to embrace the idea that they are at a new jumping off point in
there lives, or at least understand that there is a new beginning on the horizon.

13. Acceptance should not be confused with healing or recovering from the loss because
that would put an enormous amount of pressure on people experiencing grief.
Acceptance is really the beginning of the real healing process. It is the point where
recovery becomes about the person left behind and not about the person being
mourned.

15. Emotions can be overwhelming in the midst of grief , so much so that just getting
through each day is difficult. During this time it's important to remember that there are
no guidelines for the recovery process. People heal in their own time and in their own
way.
 Don't be in a hurry to get through the grieving process. Allow yourself to do what
you feel you need to do from day to day.
 Know that it is not a betrayal to the memory of your loved one to begin the
healing process.
 Honor your loved one by talking about his or her life and sharing what you will
miss the most.
 Ask yourself what the deceased would want you to do.
 Find a meaning and a purpose for being here.

16. 1) Loss of appetite
2) Excessive fatigue and sleep
3) Increased physical weakness
4) Mental confusion or disorientation
5) Labored breathing
6) Social withdrawal
7) Changes in urination
8) Swelling in the feet and ankles
9) Coolness in the tips of the fingers and toes
10) Mottled veins

17. Sources
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 "Kübler-Ross Model." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 02 May. 2012.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCbler-Ross_model>.
 Axelrod, Julie. "The 5 Stages of Loss and Grief | Psych Central." Psych Central
Trusted Mental Health, Depression, Bipolar, ADHD and Psychology Information . Web. April.
2011.
<http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/the-5-stages-of-loss-and-grief/>.
 "Coping with Grief and Loss: Support for Grieving and Bereavement." Helpguide.org: Expert, Ad
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 "Stages." Stages of Grief. Web. 03 May. 2011.
<http://www.cancersurvivors.org/Coping/end%20term/stages.htm>.
 "How to Get through the Grieving Process | EHow.com." EHow | How to Videos, Articles & More
Discover the Expert in You. | EHow.com. Web. 24 April. 2012.
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