The nefarious Game of Thrones leak has released Sunday’s episode onto the web — but don’t worry, we’re here to guide you through the stages of this traumatic development.

Denial


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When the rumors first broke of the most recent Game of Thrones leak, the idea seemed absurd. Sure, this kind of thing has happened before, but could another group of internet weirdos really have cracked HBO’s systems? Any persuasive powers their bizarre message have had was surely dispelled by their terrible grammar.

This will be fine, you thought. It’s nothing. It will all be fine.

Anger


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But as the story continued to boil and the threat of spoilers leeched further onto the web, the next stage of the process set in.

How dare those hackers do this? Don’t they realize that watching Game of Thrones is a sacred bond between a person and their screen? Covert filming spoilers are one thing — leaking the actual product is perverse! Wrong! Stupid! And really, really mean!

Fear


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Next, the fear sank in. It’s a wild and ruthless internet out there, and leaked script details — and later actual footage — makes the most familiar territory fraught with risk. Behind every friendly Facebook post lurked a potential leaker; every snap held the potential for spoilery disaster.

This wasn’t a game anymore, you knew. This was serious.

Temptation


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It is when we are most afraid that we are at our most vulnerable to the insidious voice of our darkest desires. The Game of Thrones leak was no exception.

Related: An open letter to King’s Landing’s wasteful food-throwing crowd on Game of Thrones

“Just have a peak!” the nasty creature in your mind coaxed. After all, who would be hurt? A simple Google search and jaunt to Reddit could free you of all that spoiler-anxiety. It would be so easy… and it would feel so good…

Anger again


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“Hold up!” you thought. Who the heck did this voice think it was, Cersei Lannister? You are a Game of Thrones fan with integrity, loyalty, and endurance! You are the shield in the darkness, kind of! The Wall that guards the realms of spoiler-free innocence! You will not be compromised!

These hackers and spoiler-spreaders may think they’re Jon Snow, but they’re just dirty White Walkers. And not even the cool kind, just the stupid, normal reanimated dead people.

Depression


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As Anger II drained away, you were left with a sense of hopelessness. Isn’t the world dark enough as it is, without the deliberate sullying of television’s most sacred night? Why would anyone be so cruel, so profane? What’s the point of anything, anyway?

(And maybe, another voice wondered, why were you getting so worked up about a television show?)

All seemed bleak. The darkness crept in, and you knew without even being spoiled that the White Walkers had already won.

Defiance

Hold up! You’re not some mewling child, and you’re not a doomsaying priestess either. You’re a Game of Thrones fan, damnit! A fan grown, and there’s no way you’re going to let a bunch of snarks and grumpkins destroy the series you love. After all, words are wind, and so are tweets.

Take that, half-baked villains!

Fear again, and also some more anger at the same time

Okay, but it’s still just a little bit tough to be on line with the Game of Thrones leak out there. You can admit that, right? If Ned Stark taught us anything, it’s that you can only be brave when you’re afraid.

Also, seriously don’t trust Littlefinger.

Acceptance


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Like every season of Game of Thrones, at the end of this wild rollercoaster of trauma comes a sense of acceptance. Yes, bad things happen. Ned gets his head chopped off, Catelyn and Robb are slaughtered at the Red Wedding, Sansa gets raped, Dorne is a thing, and STILL nobody knows what the hell Bran is talking about.

But there is peace that comes with that experience too. You’ve been around the Game of Thrones hack gauntlet before, and you’ll make it through this one. Spoilers, if you do experience them, are a bummer — but isn’t it all about the journey?

Now relaxed and accepting, you can return to your normal activities — the 75-step process of dealing with the wait for The Winds of Winter. Only 48 steps to go!

Game of Thrones 7×04, “The Spoils of War” airs (for real) on Sunday, Aug. 6 at 9:00 p.m. on HBO.