The patient concentrates on the mind-numbing details of the spouse's funeral to delay dealing with the overwhelming pain of the loss.Which stage of grief is currently being experienced by the patient?

A) Anger
B) Denial
C) Bargaining
D) Acceptance
E) Depression

Individuals in the denial stage cannot believe or understand that a loss has occurred and shut down their feelings until they are able to process the grief a little at a time.In the anger stage,a person resists the loss,is angry about the situation,and sometimes becomes angry with God.During bargaining,the individual postpones awareness of the loss and tries to prevent the loss from happening by making deals or promises.A person realizes the full significance of the loss during the depression stage.When depressed,the person feels overwhelmingly lonely or sad and withdraws from interactions with others.During the stage of acceptance,the individual begins to accept the reality and inevitability of loss and looks to the future.