1. Superwoman or Superman Phase
The initial “Everything will be OK, I’m strong, I can handle this” phase.
2. Freakout Phase
This often happens pretty quickly after the superwoman phase and sometimes involves hysterics and/or fantasies of running away with your significant other so they don’t have to leave.
3. The Ice Cream Phase
The ice cream phase — aka “I do what I want phase” — when you realize that yes, you can have ice cream, pizza or whatever you want for dinner every night while sitting on the couch watching reruns of “Friends” and no one can stop you.
4. The End of Ice Cream Phase
The end of the ice cream phase is typically followed by the fitness and health enthusiast phase where you decide you will lose 20 pounds by working out 2 hours a day and eating only kale smoothies for the remainder of the deployment.
5. The Grinch Phase
The overwhelming feeling of frustration and being sick of being alone phase or what I like to call the “Grinch phase.”
