Topic Tuesday: Stepping off the distress seesaw **closed**

[CherryBomb]

Up and down, down and up, and upside down...

Have you ever felt as though you are being held to ransom by an all consuming distress seesaw?

 

Join us this Topic Tuesday, to discuss journeys, and share strategies to leave the seesaw.

We will be joined by @Former-Member  - a health professional who specialises in trauma.

SunnyDaisy describes her thoughts on this:

"I once had someone tell me that their experience of living with the effects of a difficult experience was like being stuck at the top end of a see-saw.

The weight of the difficult experience sits on the ground at the other end of the see-saw and life is consumed by this. 

After receiving the support that was required to deal with the difficult experience/s, it felt like they were able to climb down from the see-saw and leave the all-consuming distress on the see-saw.

This does not mean forgetting about the difficult experience. It is a matter of gradually finding more space in life to participate in life and enjoy other things – a sense of no longer being held to ransom by the difficult experience .

How do you relate your difficult experiences to this 'see-saw' idea? Do you have an experience of climbing down from the high end of the see-saw?"

We've got a few members who might be able to contribute to this dicussion. @Loopy @Alessandra1992 @kristin @Rick @kenny66 @SCORPION @Cazzie   Are you around tonight? 

[Former-Member]

Hey everyone. I’m really pleased to be joining you for tonight’s Topic Tuesday, which will focus on “Stepping off the See-Saw”.  

I’m keen to hear about your own experiences of getting to a point when you were no longer held to ransom by the pain of trauma.   Often a subtle realization that life is able to move forward without every waking moment flooded with thoughts about the trauma.

And I’m looking forward to the richness of experience that each of you has to offer.

[CherryBomb]

Good evening, I'm pleased to welcome @Former-Member our special guest who specialises in trauma and distress events.

[CherryBomb]

@Former-Member 

Can you provide some examples of what some these of subtle realizations have looked like for some people that you know of?

[kato]

hello @Former-Member 

welcome to the forums, and thank you for your time, i am sure there will be questions from other forum users, i don't have any known trauma in my life, but i thought i would say Hi 🙂

[CherryBomb]

Hiya @kato

You don't need to have experienced trauma to contribute to this contribute to this conversation. It also includes distressing events that play on your mind.

[Former-Member]

Hi Kato

Thanks for saying hi.  I'll respond to CherryBombs question.  It may be of interest to you, even though you don't have any trauma in your own life.

[Former-Member]

Sure CherryBomb ... some examples of subtle realisations that the trauma or distressing event is no longer ruling our lives that I have been told are:

"Oh, yeah.  After our family gathering, I went home and had a good night's sleep.  Usually I'd go home feeling agitated, eat a pack of Tim Tams in front of the TV and stay up way too late.  I hadn't considered that it was a step forward"

"I noticed just before I stepped into a situation that I usually find triggering that I was putting on my golden shield of protection in my mind.  I didn't wait until I was in the situation and having difficulty before taking action."

[Loopy]

Good evening SunnyDaisy, I like some others manage to get off the See Saw but like a round-a-bout it is all too easy to retun to the seesaw.

loopy

[Former-Member]

Sometimes, people are surprised that progress is being made.