This post contains some of the best quotes about grief and anger.
Quotes About Grief And Anger
1. “Anger is a necessary stage of the healing process. Be willing to feel your anger, even though it may seem endless. The more you truly feel it, the more it will begin to dissipate and the more you will heal.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler
2. “Anger is normal and necessary. It’s our way of protesting a reality we don’t like. It helps us survive. And anger is far sounder than a resignation to despair. Anger and feelings of protest challenge relationships, where despair severs or cuts off relationships. Anger may be frightening, but indifference is deadening.” – Alan D. Wolfelt
3. “ANGER. This stage presents itself in many ways: anger at your loved one that he didn’t take better care of himself or anger that you didn’t take better care of him. Anger does not have to be logical or valid. You may be angry that you didn’t see this coming and when you did, nothing could stop it. You may be angry with the doctors for not being able to save someone so dear to you. You may be angry that bad things could happen to someone who meant so much to you.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler
4. “Disenfranchised grief is the result of a loss for which people do not feel they have a socially recognized right to grieve. Disenfranchised grief is often not openly mourned or approved of.” – Louise L. Hay & David Kessler
Related: Resilient Grieving: Best 17 Ways To Manage Grief In The Workplace (+FREE Grief Worksheets)
5. “Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, the renowned grief expert who identified the Five Stages of Grief, said that we could feel anger, let it pass through us, and be done with it in a few minutes. She went on to say that any anger we feel over 15 minutes is old anger” – Louise L. Hay & David Kessler
6. “Feelings of anger at the sibling who died are quite common. Perhaps you’re angry that he didn’t quit smoking or didn’t see the doctor sooner. Or maybe he left behind a financial or legal mess that his family now has to clean up.” – Alan D. Wolfelt
7. “For some people who are grieving the death of an adult sibling, feelings of shock and disbelief after the death are followed by anger. You may be angry at medical caregivers, your parents, your family, your spouse, even the sibling who died.” – Alan D. Wolfelt
8. “Grief after any relationship gives you the window to heal your wounds and begin anew. Each relationship gives you an opportunity to face your fear and anger. But more important, they give you the chance to come closer to authentic healing and true love.” – Louise L. Hay & David Kessler
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9. “Grief is the window that provides the opportunity to examine your primal thinking about relationships. If you grieve relationships well, you will relate well. If you relate poorly in the relationship, you have another opportunity to change your thinking in how you grieve and how you handle the next relationship.” – Louise L. Hay & David Kessler
10. “However you think in the midst of a relationship is how you will grieve afterward. For instance, if you were coming from lack in the relationship, your grief will also reflect lack. If you were full of anger in the relationship, you will also have anger along with grief after that relationship.” – Louise L. Hay & David Kessler
11. “I often think about Kübler-Ross’s Five Stages of Grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Healing your heart is about ultimately finding acceptance and living in reality.” – Louise L. Hay & David Kessler
12. “If you haven’t, we hope you will take this as an invitation to release some of that anger. After all, your anger doesn’t really hurt your partner—it is only toxic to you.” – Louise L. Hay & David Kessler
13. “If you were full of anger in the relationship, you will also have anger along with grief after that relationship. The truth is that we don’t just want to introduce a more expanded way of thinking about grief after a relationship. We want you to also see how expanded thinking might work during a relationship.” – Louise L. Hay & David Kessler
14. “It is important to remember that the anger surfaces once you are feeling safe enough to know you will probably survive whatever comes.” – Elisabeth Kübler-Ross & David Kessler
15. “No matter how long you were with a person, the breakup deserves its personal time of grief. Grief after a relationship gives you the opportunity to understand your own healthy and unhealthy archetypes.” – Louise L. Hay & David Kessler
16. “Of course anger is only one of the emotions that arise. When a relationship ends, when divorce happens, and even when a death occurs, we are left with so many feelings.” – Louise L. Hay & David Kessler
Related: How To Help A Grieving Friend? 6 Things to Avoid Saying to a Grieving Person
17. “The timing is your choice, and there are periods when we need to shelve our grief. It may be too soon, too painful; or maybe you’re too busy raising a child or holding on to a job. Whatever your situation, there will come a time when grief has sat too long on the shelf. It will become old, unattended, angry, and will begin to impact your life in a negative way. But that doesn’t have to be your reality.” – David Kessler
18. “Then more feelings hit, and anger is usually at the front of the line as feelings of sadness, panic, hurt, and loneliness also appear, stronger than ever.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler
19. “We may experience all five stages of loss (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) before the actual death. We may experience only anger and denial. Not everyone experiences anticipatory grief, and if they do, certainly not in the same way.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler
20. “When a relationship ends, you’ll feel grief, but it’s so much worse if you believe that your partner was “the one,” and now you have lost your “forever” mate.” – Louise L. Hay & David Kessler
Related: Grief Comes In Waves: Top 12 Lessons From Grief No One Talks About
21. “The truth is that anger has no limits. It can extend not only to your friends, the doctors, your family, yourself, and your loved one who died, but also to God. You may ask, “Where is God in this? Where is his love? His powerfulness? His compassion? Is this really God’s will?” You may not want people to talk to you about God’s plan or his mysteries.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler
22. “There you sit, alone with your anger, wondering how to reconcile your spirituality and your religion with this loss and anger.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler
23. “If we ask people to move through their anger too fast, we only alienate them. Whenever we ask people to be different than they are, or to feel something different, we are not accepting them as they are and where they are. Nobody likes to be asked to change and not be accepted as they are. We like it even less in the midst of grief.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler
24. “Underneath anger is pain, your pain. It is natural to feel deserted and abandoned, but we live in a society that fears anger.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler
25. “People often tell us our anger is misplaced, inappropriate, or disproportionate. Some people may feel your anger is harsh or too much. It is their problem if they don’t know how to deal with it.”– Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler
Related: Best +30 Grief Activities For Adults (+FREE Worksheets PDF)
26. “Anger is strength and it can be an anchor, giving temporary structure to the nothingness of loss. At first grief feels like being lost at sea: no connection to anything. Then you get angry at someone, maybe a person who didn’t attend the funeral, maybe a person who isn’t around, maybe a person who is different now that your loved one has died. Suddenly you have a structure—your anger toward them. The anger becomes a bridge over the open sea, a connection from you to them. It is something to hold on to, and a connection made from the strength of anger feels better than nothing.”– Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler
27.“Try walking, swimming, gardening—any type of exercise helps you externalize your anger. Do not bottle up anger inside. Instead, explore it. The anger is just another indication of the intensity of your love.”– Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler
28.“Anger means you are progressing, that you are allowing all those feelings that were simply too much before to come to the surface. It is important to feel the anger without judging it, without attempting to find meaning in it. It may take many forms: anger at the health-care system, at life, at your loved one for leaving. Life is unfair. Death is unfair.”– Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler
29.“Anger is a natural reaction to the unfairness of loss. Unfortunately, however, anger can isolate you from friends and family at the precise time you may need them the most.”– Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler
30.“If you could change things, you would, but you can’t. Anger affirms that you can feel, that you did love, and that you have lost.”– Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler
Related: Best 21 Grief Journaling Prompts (+FREE Grief Worksheets PDF)
Does Grief Ever Stop?
Grief is a natural response to loss, and it is important to understand that grief does not necessarily have an endpoint where it completely disappears.
Rather, it tends to evolve and change over time.
While the intensity of grief may lessen and become more manageable, the experience of loss can continue to be felt in different ways throughout a person’s life.
It is common for anniversaries, birthdays, or other significant events to trigger waves of grief and sadness, even years after the loss.
It is important to note that grief does not mean that we are stuck or unable to move forward in our lives.
With time and support, most individuals find ways to adjust and create a new sense of normalcy.
The goal is not to forget or erase the loss but to integrate the experience into our lives and find meaning and purpose while also honoring the memories of our loved ones.
Everyone’s journey through grief is unique, so it’s essential to be patient and compassionate with yourself.
If you find that your grief is significantly interfering with your daily functioning or causing prolonged distress, seeking professional help from a therapist or counselor who specializes in grief and loss can be beneficial. They can provide you with the guidance and support necessary to navigate your grief and develop healthy coping strategies.
Should I Be Alone To Grieve?
The decision of whether to be alone or seek support while grieving is a personal one and can vary from person to person.
Both options have their benefits, and it’s important to find a balance that works for you.
Some people find solace in being alone during the grieving process. It allows them to reflect, process their emotions, and find their own ways of coping. Being alone can provide a sense of privacy and control over one’s emotional expression.
On the other hand, seeking support from family, friends, or support groups can help alleviate feelings of loneliness and provide comfort. Talking about your loss, sharing memories, or receiving empathy from others who have experienced similar grief can be incredibly healing.
Consider a combination of both solitude and social support. Allow yourself scheduled alone time to process your emotions and engage in self-care activities such as journaling, meditation, or engaging in hobbies you enjoy. At the same time, reach out to trusted individuals who can offer understanding, compassion, and companionship when needed.
Ultimately, the choice between being alone or seeking support during grief depends on your individual needs, preferences, and the specific circumstances surrounding your loss.
It can be helpful to experiment with different approaches and listen to your emotions to determine what feels most supportive for you at any given moment.
