Accepting the death of a beloved pet is not an easy task. Emotions can become overwhelming, doing all the everyday tasks may become heartbreaking, however, this grieving period is an important part of your recovery.
According to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, MD, there are five stages of grief which should help us better understand what is actually going on in our heads during this period of time, thus more easily cope with the loss of our loved one.
These stages refer to losing a person, of course, but can apply to losing a pet as well. Also, these stages may differ depending on the person, but the general idea goes like this:
Denial
Denial mirrors in that initial shock of loss which leads to disbelief, and it acts as a form of self-defense from the harsh reality of the situation.
Anger
As denial starts to subside, anger begins to develop. This emotion stirs up all other emotions and tends to act as some sort of exhaust system for the stress. During this stage, the mourning person may blame others for the death.
Bargaining
During this stage, the mourner will start envisioning ways through which he or she could have prevented the death. The feeling of guilt is often present.
Depression
Perhaps the most difficult stage to cope with, depression is however paramount for overcoming the death of our pet and to start rounding up the healing process. This emotion is normal, but if it develops into a serious long term depression, this may be the sign to seek professional help.
Acceptance
The last stage means coming to term with the reality of the situation and moving on. Of course, accepting the death of your beloved pet doesn’t mean you are completely over it, but it rather means you now understand that life has to go on.