The stages of grieving

1. Shock and denial.
At this stage, you’re in a state of shock and you find it hard to believe it’s true and accept what has happened. Some people may be unable to react or to feel emotions. It’s as if they were “paralyzed.” Other people may cry or feel nostalgic or irritable.
2. Disorganization.
At this stage, you may feel a lot of anger, frustration, sense of injustice, and inability to understand. You may also feel sad, anxious, tense, agitated, or demotivated. You might also engage in unusual behaviour. You might tend to displace your anger onto your friends or family. Being angry is normal. On the other hand, verbal or physical aggression is not an acceptable way of expressing your anger. Talking about it or weeping with rage are acceptable.
3. Resolution of grief.
At this stage, you accept the loss. By accepting it, you are able to keep your good memories – and also the not-so-good ones. You start to have more confidence in yourself, you feel better, and the future doesn’t look as dark as before. You have new dreams; you’re able to enjoy yourself. You feel that this test could make you stronger.
One thing is certain: you need to give yourself time to overcome your grief. This can take weeks, months, or even years. With time, the pain will ease and you’ll only keep your memories of the lost person or animal, without the sad, painful emotion you had right after the loss.