What Goes Down, Must Come Up
What a beach ball can teach you about unprocessed trauma
Many of us learned as children that holding a beach ball underwater is challenging; the deeper you push it, the more force it takes to keep it down. Eventually, you have to let go, and the greater the depth to which the ball was pushed, the more force it exerts as it surfaces, sometimes propelling itself into the air.
The buoyancy of a beach ball serves as a powerful metaphor for what occurs in our minds when we experience trauma. For instance, after experiencing a car crash, abandonment, or abuse, we may push the resulting complex, uncomfortable emotions and thoughts deep into the recesses of our minds to cope and survive.
Eventually, the sunken distress leaks into our perceptions of ourselves, others, and the world. We discover that we can no longer push the pain away, and a surge of unprocessed emotions rush to the forefront of our brains. We are forced to make sense of it.
Like the beach ball, what goes down, must come up.
Unprocessed trauma can affect our everyday lives.
“So tear me open, pour me out
There’s things inside that scream and shout
And the pain still hates me
So hold me, until it sleeps”
Are you living with unprocessed trauma? If you think it’s possible, ask yourself,
· Have you been exposed to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence?
· Do you have recurrent and distressing memories or dreams of the events?
· Do you suffer from flashbacks or fragmented memories, or feel like the incidents are reoccurring?
· Do you avoid people, places, or things that remind you of the experiences? or,
· Do you have problems with concentration, sleep, or an exaggerated startle response?
The American Psychological Association (2022) indicates that answering yes to some or all of these questions may indicate the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or another trauma and stressor-related disorder.
The practitioners at Connection Therapy Group are trained and experienced in delivering evidence-based interventions that can help you heal.
You don’t have to suffer and are worthy of a life based on acceptance and freedom. We would be honored to walk with you as you let the ball go.
Contact Denny for more information here.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.).
Hetfield, J. & Ulrich, L. (1995). “Until it Sleeps” [Song]. On Load [Album]. Elektra-Vertigo Records.