The shocking defeat of Hillary Clinton, shining star and darling of the Democratic Party, led to many equally shocked supporters, shocked at how shocking this upset was. After all, Trump came literally out of nowhere, took the Republican nomination, and then won the Presidency after running the most offensive, crazy campaign since Barry Goldwater’s in 1964. Like good ol’ Barry, Trump said a lot of insane things and made a fool of himself nationally. But apparently people, specifically white working class folks in the Rust Belt, decided Trump was better than Hillary and catapulted him to office. He won states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, which haven’t gone Republican since 1992. Hell Wisconsin hasn’t gone Republican since 1984. And this shocked urban progressives, who couldn’t fathom why these people voted for Trump and caused the night to turn out like that.

That question has been settled already (white liberal elitism/snobbery and James Comey), but the news led to massive grief among Democrats and liberals(including the author). Instead of a night of triumphant victory against racism and misogyny, a night that vindicated Obama’s legacy, we got what felt like a gutpunch by a surprise uppercut from the wily Trump. We feel like everything that was achieved in the last 8 years like the Affordable Care Act, reduced involvement in the Middle East, and nationwide same-sex marriage are going to be wiped away by the crazy Republicans now in power. And we can’t help but cry and feel grief. Here are the 5 stages that we will undergo, as I experienced it these past couple of weeks.

Stage 1: Denial

This is when people react by trying to deny the news and isolate themselves from what happened. They do this as a defense mechanism to protect themselves from what happened. This manifested itself when the Hillary supporter tries to change channels and seek a more favorable coverage of what is happening. They dismiss Florida and try to picture how Ohio or Michigan or Pennsylvania could flip to Hillary. In my case, I went back home from the Taco Mac election party I was at, had a glass of beer, and then went to sleep. Or tried to sleep; my body felt an intense sensation of anxiety and stress, my heart felt like it was ready to burst. I didn’t cry, but I did feel a little sad inside.

Stage 2: Anger

This is when people finally feel the full effect of the situation and events on them. They become angry and hostile at times, trying to redirect the pain elsewhere. When liberals reach this stage, they become pissed off and take to the streets in protest, yelling “Fuck Trump” and “Not my President”. While these protests are generally peaceful(no one gets horribly maimed), they are generally very loud and intense. Others take to social media and pour out their anger in status updates and charged conversations with people from the other side. In my case, I felt angry at the entire Democratic establishment for letting this happen and basically dooming us to 4 years of a crappy, unqualified blowhard President. I also felt immense anger at Trump and refused to accept him as the fair winner of the election; I posted all sorts of political statuses showing my rage and anger at the result. And shared angry conversations with conservative friends.

Stage 3: Bargaining

This is when people have thoughts of trying to bargain with a higher power or rationalize on what could have been, trying to regain control. This stage involves a lot of what-ifs and speculation. In this case, liberals tend to blame the Electoral College and how its setup, understandable because Hillary won the popular vote. Some more progressive supporters regret that Bernie Sanders didn’t win the nomination, feeling that he would have been able to beat Trump due to being a political outsider as well. Others regret not getting involved as much as they should have. In my case, I thoroughly bashed the Democratic establishment and the FBI for that damned second investigation of theirs.

Stage 4: Depression

This is when people are depressed and in mourning for what happened. They grieve and feel immense sadness and pain, trying to slowly get over what happened. In the case of liberals, they feel immense despair and frustration at what happened. It’s hard to get out of bed in the morning, to go about everyday routines. Especially when the country decided to elect a racist blowhard; they have lost their faith in America and feel that it is no longer a welcoming, tolerant nation. They try to go onto the Canadian immigration website and cry when it doesn’t work. Others gather with other like-minded liberals and plot their next moves. In my case, I just felt sad like any normal human being and contemplated moving to Canada or Germany.

Stage 5: Acceptance

This is when people accept what happened and begin moving on. They become calmer and more accepting of what happened. Life becomes easier and things start settling down. For liberals, this is when they calm down and realize that life still goes on. America is still America, and Trump is not President for life. They can vote him out in 4 years and vote out the GOP Congress in 2018. They begin planning and organizing the liberal counterattack. They embrace Bernie Sanders wholly and seek to transform the Democratic Party. Some will leave the country for greener pastures. For me personally, I’m just glad to be alive right now. I hear Elon Musk is aiming to be on Mars by 2024, so I’ll be applying for a spot on that ship.