You will learn to function in a new way. How the crisis was handled, however, will determine whether or not you can come out of it stronger or weaker. Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and others have found a typical set of stages that people go through when facing a terminal illness. Others have found similar response stages to any serious crisis or loss, including weather problems such as too much rain, insect infestations, and other variables of farm life. The stages are a useful guide to understanding our reactions to loss.
People go back and forth between stages.
No, not me, it can't be true. This is a typical reaction of a person facing a loss or impending loss. It is an important and necessary stage. It works as a buffer after sudden shock to allow people to collect themselves and, with time, find less radical responses. It is dangerous to become stuck in denial, pretending the loss hasn't happened or won't happen, and putting off plans to deal with the problem.