What are the stages of the grieving process?

The correct answer outlines the widely recognized stages of grief as identified by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross in her seminal work. These stages—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—represent a framework through which individuals often process grief and loss.

Denial serves as an initial response, helping individuals cope with the overwhelming shock of loss. The reaction to this denial can then manifest as anger, where feelings of frustration and helplessness may be directed inward or outward. Bargaining follows, where individuals might dwell on what could have been done differently to prevent the loss, often in an attempt to regain control. This is typically succeeded by a depressive phase, where deep sadness and regret can settle in as the reality of the loss becomes more pronounced. Finally, acceptance allows an individual to come to terms with the loss, allowing for a gradual healing process. This last stage does not imply that the grief is entirely resolved, but rather that one can acknowledge the reality of the situation and begin to adjust to life moving forward.

The other options do not align with the well-documented stages of grieving and therefore do not represent the conventional understanding of how individuals cope with loss.