The Denial Stage of Grief
In all of us, denial, a natural defense system is present to some extent. It is perfectly natural and normal, as our mind simply refuses to absorb the reality. It is the first reaction as we tend to deny the reality of the situation. Denial stage of grief is a normal reaction to downsize overwhelming emotions. It is a defense mechanism of our body and mind which buffers the immediate shock of losing someone we love.
Denial stage of grief is a temporary response that carries us through the first wave of pain of our grief. At first, we get inclined to deny that any loss has taken place. This stage may last a few moments, or even longer. We may withdraw from our usual social contacts and the world becomes meaningless and overpowering. Life makes no sense as we go into shock and denial stage. Our senses get numbed and we wonder how we can go on and keep asking ourselves why we should go on.
In a way, the denial stage of grief helps us find a way to simply get through each day and help us cope with the gravity of the situation. There is a grace in denial as it helps us to pace our feelings of grief. It is natural way of letting in only little amounts of grief as much as we can handle.
As you accept the reality of the loss gradually and start asking yourself questions, you have begun the healing process unknowingly. As the denial stage begins to wean away, one tends to get stronger emotionally and come face to face with the reality. But as you carry on, all the feelings that you were denying before, will begin to surface. A person in denial believes the lies to be true. To get out of the denial stage of grief, it is better to listen to others and come to terms with reality.
