There are five stages that are commonly experienced as one passes through the heart wrenching process of grief. The stages are: shock/disbelief, denial, anger, depression and acceptance. The stages do not necessarily occur in this order and it may be that some individuals will not experience all the stages. In fact, the passage through the grief process is unique to each individual and is determined, in the main, by the make-up of the person experiencing the loss. For example, someone who never really expresses their feelings openly may pass through each stage and be seemingly unaffected. They may even appear cold and clinical. Equally it's possible that the same person could erupt uncontrollably, as all their past pent-up emotion attaches itself to their grief and bursts through with an overwhelming intensity.

It is important to note that it is quite common for those who are grieving to become entangled and stuck in one of the stages, or keep moving back and forth between the different stages, being torn apart by two or more opposing emotions. The time spent being pulled apart or stuck in one of the stages can vary from minutes, to hours, weeks, months and even years, dependent on the person's understanding of their grief, the intensity of their emotional experience, and the kind of support that they have available to them.

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