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Steamboat Springs — At some point in life, everyone feels a sense of loss and grief when a loved one passes away. Losing someone dear to you is a very hard experience. And dealing with a situation like this is difficult when you are overwhelmed with sorrow.

While coping with death is tough, there are ways to make it less difficult.

There is a typical cycle of emotions people go through:

First comes denial. People refuse to accept the fact that someone close to them has died. Eventually, this stage will pass and become anger. The person who is at a loss might be angry with themselves or with others.

The next step is bargaining. In this stage, the person might try to compromise or come up with an idea for why the event has happened.

After bargaining, there's depression. It is usually acceptance, along with sadness and regret. And last, there is complete acceptance.

Everyone goes through these five steps at their own rate. Some people come to acceptance right away, and others linger on certain aspects. However, recovery is a hard and heartbreaking experience for everyone.

Try to remember the good times you had with the person who has passed away. Remembering the high points in his or her life will make you smile and reminisce about the fun you had with them. Also, try to think about the things you learned from that person and how they affect your life daily.

It's hard to know what to say to a person who is going through this. Here are some ideas about how to help someone through the grieving process:

- Don't be afraid to talk to them. People need friends during tough times.

- Sometimes people need to get their minds off the event. Don't remind them about the death if they don't want to talk about it.

- If they want to talk about the person, let them.

- Tell the person how much you care and that you are always there to talk.

- Let them know you will always be there for them, no matter what happens.

Everyone needs someone to lean on sometimes. Try to be there for your friends as much as possible. You will be grateful when they return the favor someday.