Grief is the emotional response to a loss, typically that of a loved one. Grief can involve many different emotions (sadness, anger, guilt) and can have a significant mental and physical impact on those affected. Many people are familiar with the five phases of grief that Swiss psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross describes in her book death and dying  more than 50 years ago. Kübler-Ross designed the model to Describe the emotional journey of the dying. She theorized that people who process grief follow a certain pattern:

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1. denial- "No, not me, that can't be true"

2. Fury- "Why me?"

3. Negotiate- Attempt to delay death through "good behavior".

4. depression- as they react to their illness and prepare for their death

5. acceptance- "The last rest before the long journey"

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While this provides a basic framework for understanding grief, researchers have since expanded the Kübler-Ross model to account for the highly individualized nature of grief. Many people experience these stages in a different order, or they may not experience all of them, and feelings of grief can recur throughout a person's life.

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Today the same model is explained by a new version called the Kübler-Ross change curve, in which many more stages of grief are involved and acceptance is described as much more evolving than linear.

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1.  Shock

2. Rejection

3. Anger and frustration

4. Depression

5. Testing

6. Decision

7. Integration