I recently corresponded with a young woman who was presenting with bouts of despair that would apparently “appear like clouds over me” without any prior notice or reasoning. Her life is not similar to the majority of the young women I work with in that hers is financially secure, full of possibilities and adventure – incredibly so for a young women of her age. I suggested to her that just as we take shelter when its raining – if she saw these bouts of despair (without reason) in similar vein then what would consitute “shelter” for her.
Below is her reply which she has given permission to reproduce here:
“The big cloud came over me again today. It felt suffocating and i was unsure of my escape. It dampened my eyes and made it hard to see out, a sudden panic came over me. I realized then I had a choice – I could stay inside the cloud and let it get thicker, making it harder for me to see. OR. I could jump out and hope I landed in a different place. One things for sure, anywhere was better than that cloud. So I jumped. Unfortunately, into another cloud. But this one was different. It was easier to breath in and I could see things more clearly. When I looked down I saw even more clouds. Each one getting smaller towards ground level.
For the first time ever I felt like I had a chance. I could overcome these clouds. I will overcome these clouds. I will live and breathe at ground level. All I have to do was jump”.
Using analogies to help people see their own way out of a situation is a powerful tool.
Eileen Murphy
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