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

CherryBombSenior Contributor

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

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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8nMgY5dkTs

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?

77 replies

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In response to: Topic Tuesday: Stepping off the distress seesaw **closed**

EagleSenior Contributor

Re: Topic Tuesday - now open: Stepping off the distress seesaw

I'm really enjoying these analogies.... In a way I feel I can relate to Loppy's analogy of the roundabout. I thought there would be recovery and that is that. However, I'm learning to accept.. and even embrace the roundabout a bit. It's so tiring, but each time I go through it, I remember.. I've been here before and I can get through it again.

In response to: Topic Tuesday: Stepping off the distress seesaw **closed**

CherryBombSenior Contributor

Re: Topic Tuesday - now open: Stepping off the distress seesaw

Is it kind of like shocking the system to reboot it?

Can anyone relate to feeling a need to do this - a need to rejig your system?

In response to: Topic Tuesday: Stepping off the distress seesaw **closed**

kenny66Senior Contributor

Re: Topic Tuesday - now open: Stepping off the distress seesaw

I think strategies to ground people in certain situations are very effective when you are thinking clearly or have the presence of mind to even rememeber there is a strategy. With Scizoaffective, often there is no memory of learnt strategy to rely upon.

With the sea saw scenorio I envisage a large sack at the low end of the sea saw. Over time I take issues out of the sck to deal with. Some a not resolved and then continue to add to the weight of the sack. Some are resolved and make the sack lighter. Unfortunately with CSA the sack gets renewed each day and maintains its weight..

Its tough to get on top of that.

In response to: Topic Tuesday: Stepping off the distress seesaw **closed**

Unknown userMember

Re: Topic Tuesday - now open: Stepping off the distress seesaw

Absolutely @karma . The brain's response to trauma is complex and has long-lasting impact in many cases.

That's why it's so important to acknowledge the difficulty many people have and the reality that the person is responding in the way that their body has stored information.

In response to: Topic Tuesday: Stepping off the distress seesaw **closed**

LoopySenior Contributor

Re: Topic Tuesday - now open: Stepping off the distress seesaw

SunnyDaisy, I would like to thankyou, from my heart for taking the time to listen to an old fool like me, you are one more person that has taken the time to do so. Once again thank you.

The looped one

In response to: Re: Topic Tuesday - now open: Stepping off the distress seesaw

Unknown userMember

Re: Topic Tuesday - now open: Stepping off the distress seesaw

Not pleasant, I'm sure. But good to be aware of it.

In response to: Topic Tuesday: Stepping off the distress seesaw **closed**

RickSenior Contributor

Re: Topic Tuesday - now open: Stepping off the distress seesaw

I don't wish to contribute

I don't feel well

I'll observe.

Ta

Rick

In response to: Re: Topic Tuesday - now open: Stepping off the distress seesaw

Unknown userMember

Re: Topic Tuesday - now open: Stepping off the distress seesaw

Hey @kenny66 , it is tough.

That sense of being stuck at the top of the see-saw or on the merry-go-round may be familiar to many.

What are some of the roadblocks that people find?

And how do you find space?

In response to: Re: Topic Tuesday - now open: Stepping off the distress seesaw

kenny66Senior Contributor

Re: Topic Tuesday - now open: Stepping off the distress seesaw

definitely-ECT helps me with this

In response to: Re: Topic Tuesday - now open: Stepping off the distress seesaw

Unknown userMember

Re: Topic Tuesday - now open: Stepping off the distress seesaw

@Rick,Thanks for letting us know. Cool that you've joined us. No comment from you - gotchya.

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