Dennis Perry Hill
General Psychology 102
Mr. Duane H. Piel
DEATH AND DYING
Introduction
Death, being the last stage of a person’s life, is one of the most controversial stages to a person. Many people hold a different view towards death and it is in fact one of the topics that many people avoid, and the main reason is because death is always received with a negative attitude and a sad mood. Many psychologists and psychiatrists have explained death from different perspectives and reasoning. However, out of all the explanations made concerning death, many people regardless of their belief, religion or perspectives towards life have agreed on one common thing; that death is the only link in a person’s life that connects and takes a person back to his creator, as well as the people who have passed away before him.
Many psychologists however especially in the modern society have been quick to note that this is only but a way of taking away the sadness in the bereaved life after loosing a loved one, and in fact this is one of the things that have brought a lot of controversy concerning death, because this has been dismissed by various religions across the world as a non-religious and unrealistic way of explaining death. Their explanation is that the same way there is a creator of both living and non-living who sustains life as well, the same Supreme Being should be responsible for the life He takes from the deceased (Pendle, 2008, p. 67).
There are many explanations concerning death and these have in one way or the other affected people’s perception towards the same. This assignment will critically discuss and look into the five stages of death. On a closer look, this assignment will look into details the five stages of death according to Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. This will assist the reader to have a deep insight concerning death as well as the people’s perspective towards it.
1. Denial
This is the initial stage of death or dying and at this stage; the victim does not want to come to terms with the eventuality of life and the existence of death. For this reason therefore, denial can be defined and explained as the conscious or unconscious of coming to terms with the existence or happening of something. In this case therefore, denial of death can be explained as the conscious or unconscious way of rejecting the fact that death exists and this especially takes place when a person looses a loved one. This is one of the most difficult times that can happen to a bereaved person, especially since it is the initial point of death. Denial too can happen when a person realizes that he/she are about to die, and in this case this is the most traumatic time for the person. It is also important to note that death is one of the aspects in life that cannot be avoided, and it is a guarantee just as much as life is.
Denial is the first stage of death and the hardest and most traumatizing stage to the involved person, both the dying as well as the bereaved. However, to get past this stage is one of the hardest decisions as much as the steps towards overcoming it might be straightforward and clearly defined; acceptance. Upon realizing that one is about to loose their lives or those they dearly love, helplessness comes into the picture especially based on the fact that it is hard to avoid and evade death. Out of helplessness and desperation, the second stage towards death gradually catches up with the death victim; anger.
2. Anger
Anger caused by the death of a person can be expressed in various ways and reactions, ranging from violent to non-violent reactions. One of the factors that determine the level to which the reaction will affect the person or those around the victim is the amount of emotional disturbance that the person undergoes. The more the emotional disturbance, the higher the reactions and consequently, the more the victim or those around him/her will be negatively affected. As it has been noted before, death is one of the aspects in life that cannot be avoided and human beings do not have any capability within their means to avoid or contain death. For this reason therefore, any people out of desperation will react in many ways concerning the happening of death due to lack of something to do in an attempt to fight back death. In most cases, the reaction is always negative and which causes harm to the involved person, the people around him/her or both (Preston, 2000, p. 144).
When such a case takes place, anger might either be subjected to oneself or projected to other people depending with how the circumstances that led to the death come by or take place. A person is likely to be angry with him or herself if he/she feels that there is something they could have done to prevent this death from taking place. In a practical example, if a person close to them dies out of illness when being taken to hospital, the bereaved may be angry with them from the reasoning that if they had conducted first aid before rushing the deceased to the hospital, then it could have been possible to save the person’s life. Anger too might be projected to other people especially if the victim feels like the people around them did not play their part in trying to save the life of the deceased. In a practical example, a bereaved person may be angry at doctors and health workers in a hospital if he/she feels like the doctors did not take the necessary measures to ensure that the deceased person’s life was not saved while it could have been possible. The most practical way of dealing with anger in this case would be to avoid judgment especially negative criticism which might trigger a person into being upset, either with oneself or with those around him., and this will, help the death victim to move on to the next stage.
3. Bargaining
Bargaining in the context of death takes place when a person tries to justify death and understand what could possible have led to it. This could also involve the act of someone trying to wish otherwise, for example if he had died in stead of the deceased, it could have been easier for both him or the bereaved, for example family members, bargaining in most cases is caused by selfishness, whereby a person wishes something to take place in a different way that will suit him, thinking it will also suit the people around him/her. The sooner a bereaved person stops bargaining concerning death and thinking if it took place in a whole new context, the better. This is because it is important to understand that man does not have control over death, and that every person dies at their own right time. Bargaining never delivers answers or explanations to death, and in fact in most cases, it leads to the fourth stage, which is one of the hardest as well as possibly destructive to a person; depression (Kubler-Ross, 1997, p. 45).
4. Depression
This can be defined as a prolonged, miserable and an unhappy feeling caused by emotional exhaustion, which has both emotional and physical signs and symptoms, such as withdrawal, constant headaches as well as emotional breakdown. Depression in the context of death is normally caused by the realization that the deceased is gone and will never come back to life, and is often triggered by memories of the times the two people shared. It is usually caused by the victim’s attempt to run away from reality as well as the emotional attachment that the two people shared. Depression is one of the most serious stages that a person can get involved in, and it is in fact advisable to seek professional help, which brings the victim to the last stage of death; acceptance.
5. Acceptance
Acceptance is the last stage in death, and it is normally the first stage to healing after a person looses a loved one. Accepting that a person has died is one of the most difficult stages especially to the victim’s life, and starts with emotional detachment between the deceased and the bereaved. Acceptance is the most important things that can assist a person to get over the dead person, as well as come to terms with the eventuality of death, being the last stage of e person’s life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important to note that the death is the last stage of life to a person, and as much as it is not pleasant and acceptable to people’s lives especially when it takes away loved ones, coming to terms with it and accepting it is the best way to overcome the pain and grief that comes with it. Death is an aspect in life that no man has control over, and for this reason it should be received with acceptance in the society, whenever it happens.
REFERENCES
Kubler-Ross, E. (1997). On death and dying. New Jersey: Prentice hall.
Pendle, G. (2008). Death; A life. New Jersey: Three Rivers Press.
Preston, T. (2000). Final Victory: Taking Charge of the Last Stages of Life, Facing Death on Your Own Terms. New York: Prima Lifestyles.
