This episode unpacks the infamous five stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance—and why they’re less of a roadmap and more of a chaotic loop. With Kübler-Ross as a starting point, I explore the messy and unpredictable reality of grief for the emotional shit show that it is.

Sources: 

Robot Chicken

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IHhAKnCtKc

Simpsons

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tHy1IbJLrg

American Dad!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpeAHkNhe14

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). (2019). Grief and mourning: A cultural and psychological perspective. National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507885/

Grief.com. (n.d.). 5 stages of grief. https://grief.com/images/pdf/5%20Stages%20of%20Grief.pdf

Thriveworks. (n.d.). What are the seven stages of grief? Thriveworks. https://thriveworks.com/help-with/grief-loss/what-are-the-seven-stages-of-grief/

Orloff, J. (n.d.). The healing power of tears. Judith Orloff, M.D. https://drjudithorloff.com/the-healing-power-of-tears/

Healthline. (2022, December 8). 7 stages of grief. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/stages-of-grief#7-stages

Kübler-Ross, E. (1969). On Death and Dying. Macmillan.

Kübler-Ross, E. (2005). On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss. Scribner

Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.