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Essay / Analysis of The Fear of Death by Elisabeth Kubler-ross
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross “On the Fear of Death” argues that people have feared death because the way they deal with and facing death has changed. Death has become lonely and dehumanizing since more deaths occur in a hospital than in a person's home where they would have the choice of how they would like to die. No one likes to talk about death or be around it when it happens because it is considered a taboo subject. Even though death is an inevitable fear, fear has caused people to change the way they deal with death. Before, people could die in the comfort of their homes, surrounded by loved ones, which was considered a natural course of life. This is no longer a common occurrence as fear has caused people to distance themselves and many no longer want to be there when death occurs. Elisabeth explains the five stages of grief, namely denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, which frame the cycle of coping with loss. Instead of death becoming a taboo subject, it should be an open subject that is talked about because it allows people to not fear it rather than choosing to distance themselves from death. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Death is a natural fact of life that brings grief and fear. Many are able to cope with the death of a loved one, some better than others ever will. On the other hand, others take it very badly and it usually tears them up inside and can affect them negatively for the rest of their lives. Elisabeth's model explains to us the process of the 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The first stage of grief is denial in which the person becomes numb and life no longer has meaning. Then it's the anger stage where everything seems endless and people are always wondering "why." After a loss, negotiation can take the form of a truce in which people ask “if only” or “what if.” Once people have finished negotiating, the depression phase brings us back to the present, where we feel lost and vulnerable, as if this will last forever. Acceptance is the stage where we accept the reality that our loved one is physically gone and face the fact that this is the new reality that we have recognized. Kubler-Ross says, “What has changed is how we face and manage death, the dying, and our dying patients.” Times have changed and the way people deal with death now is a stage of mourning which used to be a common way to deal with death but nowadays people don't seem to suffer anymore since they never want to be separated of someone dying. People don't understand that the grieving process is a very important step when trying to cope with the death of a loved one. Death is difficult to deal with, especially now that many have moved on from it. Facing death must now be one of the most difficult challenges for a person. When losing someone very close to us is like losing a part of ourselves. Since people are so afraid of death, they have distanced themselves from their dying families just so they don't have to face it head on. Families avoid death and talk about it because it has become easier for someone to be more accepting of someone's death. For example, I had a close friend who lost her father to cancer. His father was in and out of the hospital and the last time before he passed away he stayed in the hospital. The last week hewas alive, she only visited him once because she couldn't accept the fact that her father was dying and she didn't have much time. She moved away from the family and avoided the hospital because she wanted to be able to keep the good memories of her father while he was alive. Hospitals give us a bad feeling and no sense of freedom or peace. Hospitals are supposed to give us good news, not bad news, like telling us that someone we love has died. People often don't find themselves a target for death, as if they could be avoided. In the article “On the Fear of Death,” Elisabeth states that “death is always a frightening and frightening event and the fear of death is a universal fear even if we think we have control over it on many levels. » no matter who you are or what you do, death will follow you. She explains that people believe they have mastered the fear of death, but that said, even if people don't talk about it or say they don't care, it's a fear that deep down we all have, no matter what. whatever the circumstances. Better coping mechanisms were used in the past, when death was considered a natural part of life. People were free to die in the comfort of their homes. People should now seek advice or help when experiencing the death of a loved one. Today, when people face such a loss, such as the death of a spouse or child, a handful of those most directly affected may experience adverse effects on their physical or mental health, or both. . Many now face clinical depression and anxiety during the first year of their loss. In the past, death was a part of life, an experience that helped people grow, to mature in their own way, but now, with the increase in the number of people dying in hospital beds rather than in their own house, no one wants to be there anymore. As I mentioned before, hospitals never bring us good news. Elisabeth quotes: “One of the most important facts is that dying these days is more horrible in many ways, namely more solitary, mechanical and dehumanized. » People now believe that they are more likely to die in an accident or at someone's hands rather than from natural causes. People who die in a hospital bed are always connected to tubes, pushed everywhere, connected to monitors, doctors going in and out, nurses always asking questions and it's never a peaceful path. The fact that death is perceived negatively does not only affect adults. , but also the next generation. We want to protect our children from any type of harm or problem, that's why we tend to keep secrets. Adults lie to them about matters related to death because we prefer not to see them suffer. We try to hide them from the pain of losing someone they love. Kübler-Ross writes: “This contrasts sharply with a society in which death is considered taboo, where discussing it is considered morbid, and where children are excluded with the presumption and pretense that it would be “too much” for them. It is believed that children sometimes believe themselves to be too young and do not fully understand the thought of death itself. The children are probably too young to understand what is happening. Adults believe that by not telling their children the truth they are protecting them, which can backfire when they grow up. As Kubler-Ross recommends: “Sooner or later, the child will become aware of the change in family situation and, depending on his age and personality, will experience unrelated grief..