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THE HOMYAK LAW FIRM, P.C.

Protecting Accident Victims Throughout Western Pennsylvania.

What are the steps to working through an unexpected death?

On Behalf of | Dec 21, 2022 | Wrongful Death

Losing a loved one unexpectedly due to the negligence of another person is a difficult situation. It can be hard to adjust and move through the grief.

You have to deal with a lot, including burial plans and wrongful death claims. But you also need to take time to care for yourself. To get through the grief, you will need to work through the five stages.

Denial

The first reaction to death is denial. Some people will work through this very fast. It is often something that may occur in a brief flash before moving to the next stage. But in some cases, people may get stuck in this stage. It is also normal for some disbelief to remain even as you move through other stages.

Anger

Many people move onto anger quite quickly, and anger may actually remain for a while as you work through the other stages.

Bargaining

Bargaining is where you try to ignore the grief or make deals with yourself, others or a higher being to move past the loss.

Depression

This is a stage where some people get stuck. It can be very hard to move through as the loss is heavily sitting on your shoulders. It makes living very hard, but you can get through it and must to really end the grief cycle.

Acceptance

Acceptance is about realizing your loved one is never coming back. You learn to move forward and to let go of anything holding you back.

Getting stuck in one stage of grief is not healthy. You may need to see a mental health professional to help you. But you need to complete all stages to get to a healthy point mentally. There is no set time for working through the stages, so do not force yourself through it.