The Place For My Writers Notes

Originally posted 14 April 2007

Just a quick note. You've probably heard them somewhere, but I still find Kubler-Ross's list of five stages in our reaction to catastrophe useful to consider from time to time.

Denial - where we refuse to believe it
Anger - where we vent and fume and yell
Bargaining - trying to negotiate or somehow take it on ourselves
Depression - down in the dumps
Acceptance - having worked through our reactions, we are ready to actually do something.

lots of tears, lots of one step forward and two steps back, lots of doing pointless stuff and reevaluating our priorities. Sounds like you have good support at work, and a good hospital.

Learned a new acronym while checking that I had the five stages right. TEAR.

To accept the reality
Experience the pain
Adjust to the new environment
Reinvest in the new reality

Accept, admit your pain, adjust, and build again. One step, one moment at a time. But it can be done.

Take care