*For the person who is dying of a terminal illness:
- Denial: Believe that the diagnosis is somehow wrong and holding onto a different preferred, reality
- “No that’s crazy! There is no way”
- Anger: Faced With the new reality, looking for someone else to be at fault, to lash out
- “ You don’t even know what your talking about”
- Bargaining: Seeking to get out of facing the new reality by promising something, to change, to reform
- “ Please god I will do anything you want; just don’t let me die”
- Depression: resigned to a new fate, settling into sadness and unable to move forward
- “ Why do bad things always happen to me”
- Acceptance: embracing the reality and finality of what has happened
- “ We can’t stop this from happening”
*For the person who has a loved one dying of terminal illness:
- Denial: Believe that the diagnosis is somehow wrong and holding onto a different preferred, reality
- “He couldn’t be dying; there’s no way”
- Anger: Faced With the new reality, looking for someone else to be at fault, to lash out
- “This is outrageous”
- Bargaining: Seeking to get out of facing the new reality by promising something, to change, to reform
- “Please god don’t let him dye. I’ll go instead of him”
- Depression: resigned to a new fate, settling into sadness and unable to move forward
- “He is such a good person. But the world is a cruel place.”
- Acceptance: embracing the reality and finality of what has happened
- “ He will die but he will be in a better place”