Runaway (Emotional) Emergency Escape Ramp

“Here’s the Go-To-Strategy that will get us through the Crisis . . .”  DawnSeeker

Runaway (Emotional) Emergency Escape Ramp —
The ‘Observe-and-Conquer’ Approach to Emotional Meltdown

Sometimes the s*** of life hits the proverbial fan so suddenly, so out-of-the-chartreuse, that neither The Assignment: Guide to Greater Happiness  nor my Depression Emergency Kit can quell the assault!

(This happened to me recently.)

Sometimes I find myself in full-blown, brought-on-by-one-event, Runaway Emotional Crisis!

Oh, it can just be a stray, stupid comment. Or a well-timed arrow? Or just a mudslide avalanche of life’s crap cascading down unexpectedly.

But the result can be the same.

WHHHHAAAAAM!!!

One moment I’m all fine, bobbing along through the game of life.

The next — I’m bleeding-out. Triage!

So here’s the shortcut approach to stopgap the bleeding. The emotional equivalent to the Runaway Emergency Escape Ramps we see alongside steep downhill roadways, for when  a truck loses its brakes.

Here’s the Go-To-Strategy that will get us through the Crisis . . .

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1) Acknowledge that you’re in a Crisis

This sounds self-evident, but it’s not.

When we start to melt down, oftentimes we are the last ones to know!

How is that possible?

Turns out, we really cannot see our own individual process.

Unless we learn to Observe it.

Coming up with Strategies — in advance — anticipating what could happen in life, both what could go right and what could go wrong, helps with the Observe-and-Conquer Approach to Emotional Meltdown.

Something as basic as saying to myself: “Oh, I’m losing it now!” — can trigger the memory of utilizing the Strategy — the Runaway Emergency Escape Ramp, and help ward off the Crisis.

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2) Retreat! Turn off the road. Steer far, far away!

Just like a runaway truck — in Crisis mode, you need to go off the main path, into the Escape Ramp.

That’s why they built it.

Because they knew, one day, you would need it.

Because in real life, brakes fail. S*** happens.

And the clever folks that look out for us, knew all that.

(I repeat — that’s why they built it!)

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You see, we are the naive ones. We are the unprepared.

Thinking that our brakes will serve us 100% of the time.

That our emotions will behave, and never run away with us!

That life will all be a bed of tulips . . .

Or that we won’t, at some point, lose it with those around us.

We leave the house with no plan for the arrows that fly ahead.

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3) Turn into the Runaway Emergency Escape Ramp

So let’s learn from our environment.

Learn from the smart people who build roadways and such.

And let’s create an analogy between our Cascading Emotions, and their Ramps.

These Escape Ramps have deep gravel to slow us down, and big yellow drums of sand to absorb the inevitable impact.

They have signs, announcing the presence of said Ramp, so we can (hopefully) maneuver our vehicles toward the proper side of the roadway.*

* You might think that all Emergency Escape Ramps would be on the same side, the right-side of the road. Not where I live! At the base of the infamous Grapevine, a horrific 6% downhill grade between LA and Bakersfield, California, the original Escape Ramp is on the right–side. But after some nasty, deadly accidents, they installed a new, separate Ramp farther down, on the left-side. So you better look and see where they’ve put the darn thing! : ~ ))

** Just located another left-side “Runaway Escape Median” on Kanan-Dume Road, Malibu.

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Emotional Safety of the Ramp

The whole idea is to steer away from the main roadway of life. Into the safety net, the slowing net, of the Escape Ramp.

Perhaps even share — in advance — with your significant other that, from time to time, you might need to suddenly take a break, and ‘drive’ off the roadway into the Emotional Safety of the Ramp.

Prepare them now for your inevitable retreat . . .

(Remember, you won’t be any good at expressing yourself mid-meltdown. That’s why you need the Ramp in the first place!!!)

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Anatomy of ‘The Ramp’

* The Deep Gravel — That’s God — Universal Goodness

The gravel is the deep love God has for you.

He’s here to catch you, surround you.

To remove the momentum of your Current Cascading Demise.

You know what’s interesting about momentum.

The longer you fall, the farther you go . . .

So turn into the Escape Ramp — NOW!

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Excuse yourself. STOP! Step away!

The longer you put off stopping, the worse the crash.

Stop your momentum before it has a chance to build.

(Someone recently quoted: “If you find yourself in a hole, the very first thing you have to do, is STOP DIGGING!” )

Let the gravel of God’s love, God’s wisdom, God’s grace, slow you, stop you, sustain you.

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* The Yellow (Caution!) Drums of Sand — That’s You and Me!!!

The sand drums represent the kindness we must show ourselves.

When, for example, ‘X’ has just said something so painful, so hurtful . . .

You’re on it!

Wisely, you’re working your Strategies!

You’ve stopped the momentum, excused yourself and stepped away.

Now you need to take care of yourself.

Love yourself.

Be kind to yourself.

Literally, wrap your arms around yourself!!!

Show yourself some caution.

Some compassion.

(Easy to forget this step and get all mad, I’ve observed!)

Please, be on your own side, for a change — will you!?!

Stop beating yourself up : ~ )

Without kindness, you’ll never escape.

Without you on your own side, you’ll end up smashed and bruised and broken.

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4) Once Stable, Return to The Assignment & your Depression Emergency Kit

It might take an hour or two, even a couple days. Give yourself time.

But when you do become more stable, go back to the Strategies of The Assignment: Guide to Greater Happiness and your Depression Emergency Kit. 

Work those Action Steps and they will bring you back into the traffic flow of life. Back onto the main roadway.

But remember — take it easy on yourself.

This incident is going to take time and tenderness to get over.

Don’t ‘speed’ back onto the roadway. That’s unrealistic!

Baby Steps!

Do what you need to take care of yourself.

You’ve just had a breakdown, and you need to be respectful of yourself.

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Interestingly, I had been working with this Escape Ramp idea for a couple weeks. Realizing the need for yet one more life-saving Strategy. Seeing those wonderful Escape Ramps by the side of the road. Making the analogy that we need a Ramp, emotionally. Photographing these roadsigns for posting on this here blog of mine . . .

And then I started journaling this Escape Ramp topic . . .

And guess what?

Later the very same day, I found myself in full-on Crisis mode — Runaway Emotional Meltdown!

NEEDING the Ramp!

Badly!

Like I’d had a premonition.

And because of this, I was READY!!!

So I applied the Strategy.

I told myself over and over: “God is the Gravel, I am the Sand”. And I literally wrapped my own arms around myself — comforting myself.

I even went to sleep that way.

And you know what?

IT WORKED!

Apologies were penned.

Tempers calmed.

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Becoming Stable . . .

Once I stabilized (the next day), I was able to move back into the utilizing the Strategies of The Assignment.

I actually thanked God for the blow up. For the “misunderstanding”! (We all know that cursing Him for it doesn’t help!)

I knew I needed to take Action, so: 1) I pulled up my Depression Emergency Kit from my computer Desktop; 2) read the entire list; 3) ate some protein; 4) took a bunch of vitamins; 5) took a shower and got dressed; 6) rubbed on some wild yam natural progesterone (hormone) cream, which helps with rampant emotions; and 7) went and rode my horse!

Not just a little ride. A BIG one. A FAST one.*

* Link to my Horse Blog, Soul Horse Ride

And the day turned around.

And the thing blew over.

And the RAMP did its job.

And the Strategies worked!!!

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So why not try these Strategies out for yourself.

See if they’ll work for you, too?

Then check back in and share your results with the rest of us.

OK, drivers.

Looks like this Ramp is on the right-side.

Ready.

Set.

Roll!

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Like what you’ve read here? Visit Dawn’s sister blog: Soul Horse Ride

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Copyright 2013, DawnSeeker – Text & Photos – All Rights Reserved