The Cycle of Grief

It is common for caregivers to have feelings of loss and grief as their life is changed by Alzheimer’s. You’re entitled to these emotions and may start to experience them as soon as you learn of the diagnosis. Share your feelings and seek support as you go through this process.

Alzheimer’s gradually takes away the person you know and love. As this happens, you’ll mourn and may experience the different phases of grieving: denial, anger, guilt, sadness, and acceptance. The stages of grief don’t happen neatly in order. You may move in and out of different stages as time goes on.

Denial

• Hoping that the person is not ill

• Expecting the person to get better

• Convincing yourself that the person hasn’t changed

Anger

• Being frustrated with the person

• Resenting the demands of caregiving

• Resenting family members who cannot or will not help provide care

• feeling abandoned and resenting it

Guilt

• Wondering if you did something to cause the illness

• Regretting your actions after the diagnosis

• Feeling Bad when you take a break

• Feeling that you’ve failed

• Having negative thoughts about the person or wishing that that they would go away or die

• Regretting things about your relationship before the diagnosis

Sadness

• Feeling despair of depression

• Withdrawing from social activities

• Withholding your emotions

Acceptance

• Coming to terms with the diagnosis and with the reality that your day to day life will eventually change

• finding personal meaning in caring for someone who is terminally ill

• Finding pleasure in being with the person in the moment

• Seeing how the grieving process affects your life

• Appreciating the personal growth that comes from surviving loss