V and VI Summary and Analysis

The third stage is bargaining, which is usually an attempt to postpone the inevitable. The patient may promise one thing in exchange for another day, less pain or anything else to relieve his situation. Many terminal patients promise to dedicate their lives to God in exchange for additional time to live, and some promise their body parts to science in exchange for their doctor's extra effort in prolonging their lives. Kubler-Ross suggests bargaining could suggest unresolved guilt, and a patient's pleas for more time should be listened to carefully to help him gain an understanding of his irrational fears.

In Chapter Vi, Kubler-Ross describes the fourth stage of dying as one of depression from the realization of loss. Whether it is a lost body part or the loss of hope, depression usually replaces any denial or stoicism...