Bargaining Stage

The bargaining stage is one of the “Five Stages of Grief” by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, an American-Swiss psychiatrist who focused on near-death researches. Bargaining is the third stage (the first is Denial, the second is Anger, the fourth is Depression, and the fifth is Acceptance) which is characterized by negotiating with God, a Supreme Being, or fate regarding the impending or experienced loss. For instance, a child of a stage-4-cancer patient may pray that she will be a “better daughter” if her mother will get better. During this phase, individuals may also experience feelings of guilt brought about by thoughts of “what ifs” or “if onlys”.