4 pages double spaced
Life is truly unpredictable. We have no way of knowing what life — or fate — is going to offer us from one moment to the next. “Fate is like a strange unpopular restaurant, filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don’t always like” ( Snicket, 2003). Those unwelcome offerings often result in loss, both real and perceived. Loss is a multidimensional experience that is unique to each person, yet the stages of anger, denial, depression and resolution are consistent (Kubler Ross, 1969). Stage models have been developed to explore the emotional components of loss due to an injury. My journey through the stages of loss began with an ill-fated slip.
I did not foresee what …show more content…
Elizabeth Kubler Ross (1969) was a psychiatrist who worked with the terminally ill patients and their families, and as a result of her work, formulated the five stages of loss . Through her work, Kubler Ross identified the stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance of a terminal diagnosis. Although each stage is defined, they are not arbitrary, and the emotions may fade and resurface in light of the individual and their unique …show more content…
Although the loss experience of a terminal patient and an injured patient is not comparable, there are parallels between the models. This injury model focuses on defining the stages of response to injury rehabilitation in terms of denial, distress and determined coping (Santi, 2013). Even though the progression to full recovery may appear inconsistent to an individual working through an injury, there is pattern. Denial is the emotion of the crisis and is greatest immediately after the injury, including surgery, but may resurface well into the rehabilitation process. Research has found the those who express the greatest denial are those with the most severe injuries (Stadilus, 2012). Instinctively, denial gives way to distress. Distress is a multi-faceted emotion that can be aggravated by pain, slow recovery, ongoing surgeon appointments and physical therapy hours; anxiety, malaise, fear, and depression were all symptoms of my distress. The real —and perceived— loss that is created by an injury can also trigger distress. Quantifiable loss of mobility, finances and social interaction can affect the perceived loss of purpose, self confidence and control of events. Loss of mobility will be more distressing to a physically active person than to one with a sedentary lifestyle, likewise, a dependant minor living at home will not respond to financial loss the same way a primary income earner of a