DENIAL 
ANGER
BARGAINING
DEPRESSION
ACCEPTANCE
- Denial sets in on the day of diagnosis
- World seems meaningless and purposeless
- A state of shock and numbness
- Denial is a defense mechanism that lessens the immediate shock and anxiety
- Examples from our patients' parents - "our child cannot have diabetes, we will get more tests done from different hospital", "our kid will get better with time", "our kid will stop needing insulin in a few weeks"
- As the effect of denial starts decreasing, reality and pain associated with it emerge
- Anger may be aimed at inanimate objects, or at friends, family or even strangers.
- Phrases like "why me?", "why my child",
- Now arises the need to regain control
- Characterized by "if only" statements like "if only we had visited doctor sooner" or "if only we had provided her better nutritious food", "if only i had not been working and totally dedicated myself to my child"
- Bargaining is often accompanied by guilt i.e., the person believes that s/he could have done something but did not.
- One kind is the reaction to the loss, which involves sadness, regret, worry.
- Another kind of depression is more subtle and private involving a quiet preparation to deal with the loss or situation
- The person may feel lonely and sad all the time thinking about his/her child's condition
- Reaching to this stage is a success
- This stage is marked by withdrawal and calm, but not happiness per se
- However, the person gets used to his/ her current life and moves ahead with it.
- He/ she gets into a new routine and new priorities
- Denial sets in on the day of diagnosis
- World seems meaningless and purposeless
- A state of shock and numbness
- Denial is a defense mechanism that lessens the immediate shock and anxiety
- Examples from our patients' parents - "our child cannot have diabetes, we will get more tests done from different hospital", "our kid will get better with time", "our kid will stop needing insulin in a few weeks"