It's usually not an emotion people feel comfortable with, but anger is a natural and healthy response for anyone who feels helpless and cheated by circumstances beyond his or her control. It's not unusual to take out your anger on friends or family. Whether you express it through tears or silence, this overwhelming sadness comes with the realization that you can't change things. Often the most frequently experienced and difficult stage, you may experience despair, disorientation, insomnia, loss of appetite and a host of other symptoms. You come to grips with the diagnosis and begin to move on with your life.
People usually go back and forth and are often in more than one stage at a time.
The healing process is different for everyone, and there is no timetable. Remember, a crisis rarely affects just one member of a family. Rather, it causes a ripple effect that touches everyone. If you are a friend or family member of someone who is ill, you may experience many of the same emotions. You may find some relief in taking charge of as many aspects of your life as possible.