Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The five stages of grief, first formulated in this hugely influential work forty years ago, are now part of our common understanding of bereavement. The five stages were first identified by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her work with dying patients at the University of Chicago and were considered phases that all or most people went through, when faced with the prospect of their own death. They are now often accepted as a response to any major life change.

However, in spite of these terms being in general use, the subject of death is still surrounded by conventional attitudes and reticence that offer only fragile comfort because they evade the real issues. This groundbreaking book is still relevant – giving a voice to dying people and exploring what impending death means to them, often in their own words. People speak about their experience of dying, their relief in expressing their fear and anger and being able to move forward to a state of acceptance and peace.

Ideal for all those with an interest in bereavement or the five stages of grief, this book contains a new extended introduction from Professor Allan Kellehear. This additional chapter re-examines On Death and Dying looking at how it has influenced contemporary thought and practice.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1. On the Fear of Death 2. Attitudes Towards Death and Dying 3. First Stage: Denial and Isolation 4. Second Stage: Anger 5. Third Stage: Bargaining 6. Forth Stage: Depression 7. Fifth Stage: Acceptance 8. Hope 9. The Patient’s Family 10. Some Interviews with Terminally Ill Patients 11. Reactions to the Seminar on Death and Dying 12. Therapy with the Terminally Ill