Which is the correct order of the first four stages of grief?

• A. Denial and isolation, Anger, Bargaining, Depression
• B. Denial and isolation, Anger, Depression, Bargaining
• C. Anger, Denial and isolation, Bargaining, Depression
• D. Denial and isolation, Bargaining, Anger, Depression

Answer: (A)

The stages of grief described by the Kübler-Ross model are often taught as a progression people experience after a loss. The first four stages, in order, are Denial and isolation, then Anger, then Bargaining, and then Depression. This sequence makes sense because denial serves as a protective shield against the immediate impact of the loss, followed by anger as the reality begins to register, then bargaining as attempts to regain control or lessen the pain, and finally depression as the person processes the depth of the loss. The other options mix up the order—some move Anger ahead of Denial, others swap Bargaining and Depression—so they don’t align with the standard progression. Keep in mind that individuals may move back and forth between stages or experience them nonlinearly, but the traditional first-four order is as described.