ABSTRACT
Each person's narrative provided valuable insights into the dialogical processes involved in the journey into a place of severe emotional distress or 'terror'. Destructive emotions undermined people's ability to think rationally and adversely affected their behaviour and relationships with other people, which in turn led to more intense levels of personal distress, isolation and alienation. In an attempt to contain escalating levels of distress, a frequently reported initial strategy was withdrawal from all social contact, a situation which inexorably led to serious isolation and even deeper levels of alienation. A small number of people reported making radical choices that they hoped would alleviate their growing sense of distress, but in reality these actions only served to increase distress levels within their lives. Attempt to escape from unbearable levels of personal distress included a withdrawal from relationships with others, seeking relief through non-prescriptive drugs or alcohol and eventually, in all cases, seeking professional support.
