ACT · Baseer Maroof, LCSW
Tug of War with a Monster
A monster, a rope, a pit between you. You’ve been pulling for a long time.
A classic ACT metaphor. The wording here is original.
Across the pit
What’s on the other end of the rope?
The tug of war
Safe groundThe edge
You let go
What will you do with free hands?
Hands free
Why this works
In ACT, the tug of war is a picture of the struggle with painful thoughts, feelings and urges. Pulling harder feels like the only move, but it keeps you pinned at the edge, with both hands busy.
Dropping the rope isn’t defeat, and it isn’t doing what the monster says. It’s quitting a fight that can’t be won by force, so your hands and attention go back to your life.
The monster may still be there tomorrow. You can drop the rope again. Most people have to, many times.