The Emotionary No. 6 - Devastated. A CBT Perspective

Devastated

[dev-uh-stey-tid] adjective

Devastated is like the echo-hum of a busy hall. You stand in the centre, submerged beneath the din. Surrounded. Alone. So many conversations that you cannot hear. You try to grasp onto something familiar - just one word. But all you hear are sibilant hisses, guttural mutters. Nobody speaks your language anymore.

Devastation is a profound, even shattering emotional state that occurs when our sense of safety, predictability, or hope is abruptly torn away from us. The feeling of devastation often follows a major life event, such as a loss, betrayal, or trauma. It can feel as if the metaphorical ‘rug has been pulled out from under our feet’ leaving us disoriented and struggling to accept the harsh new reality of the situation that we are now in. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help us to process the intense situation we are experiencing, by providing a structured space to gently unpack the overwhelming flood of thoughts and emotions. Alongside this, CBT can help us to prevent catastrophic beliefs to take hold, such as: "I will never recover from this“ or "Everything is now ruined forever.” A safe therapeutic space can help us to identify these naturally occurring but ultimately paralysing thought patterns. A calm and compassionate therapist can assist us to safely experience the raw emotions caused by the situation, while slowly learning to rebuild our lives and reframe our outlook on life, shifting from initial shock towards gradual acceptance and inner strength.