# The overflowing cup ##### Untangling Pain --- ## ![[Meta/01 Attachments/PNIE Pain BLOG.assets/Image (7).png|Image.png]] --- ## Watch the lesson  --- ## tl;dr **Overflowing cup analogy** - Greg Lehmann’s analogy of the overflowing cup helps explain DIMs and SIMs better - I use it with clients when the DIMs and SIMs sheet isn’t enough - The cup represents our nervous system’s capacity to cope **DIMs, SIMs, and capacity** - Everyone’s cup is different and can change—like during your period - DIMs are what go into the cup: threats or dangers - SIMs are the cup itself: your capacity - When the cup overflows, pain is produced **Multiple analogy use** - I use different analogies because not everyone connects with the same one - Take what you need, discard the rest **Burnout and energy analogy** - I also use the overflowing cup to describe burnout and chronic fatigue - Overflowing doesn’t always lead to pain—it can be fatigue, burnout, anger, resentment, tears, gut issues --- ## Transcript Another analogy I really love, and you'll come to realise just how much I love analogies, is one that Greg Lehmann, has shared. One of an overflowing cup. This sort of puts together the ideas of DIMs and SIMs a little bit better, so I've used this again to explain it to my clients. Sometimes we've used the DIMs and SIMs. We've created a sheet. We've split the sheet in half, we've got DIMs and SIMs. And helping them to understand what is maybe flaring up the the brain and the nervous system. And also what they can do to reduce it, to create those SIMs. But sometimes this can help them understand it a little bit better. So, our cup is the capacity for us to cope with everything that's going on. When I say us, I mean our nervous system. We all have a certain amount that we can cope with, and this is represented by the cup, and this is different for everyone. And it may also change in size, depending on many different factors. It could be that your capacity to cope is less, say, during your period. So, your cup is your capacity. The things that go into your cup are all the things that are a threat or danger to you. And when your cup overflows, this is when pain is produced. Linking back to the DIMs and SIMs, the DIMs are all the things that go in the cup, the SIMs are the cup. I use lots of these different analogies because some people sometimes don't understand one of them and it doesn't click, and that's when I use a different analogy. Please don't think you need to remember all these analogies. Take what you need, discard the rest. With this overflowing cup, I've used the same analogy in the past to describe my capacity to cope when it comes to burnout. Or energy levels if clients have chronic fatigue. And it's the same idea. Remember that pain is just an output, a response. It may not always show up as pain when we have, filled our cup or overfilled our cup. It could show up as fatigue or burnout or anger or resentment or tears or gut issues, anything. --- ## Extra ## Version 1: Full Overflowing Cup Analogy Another analogy I really love, and you’ll come to realise just how much I love analogies, is one that Greg Lehmann has shared One of an overflowing cup This sort of puts together the ideas of DIMs and SIMs a little bit better, so I’ve used this again to explain it to my clients DIMs and SIMs Sheet Sometimes we’ve used the DIMs and SIMs We’ve created a sheet We’ve split the sheet in half, we’ve got DIMs and SIMs And helping them to understand what is maybe flaring up the brain and the nervous system And also what they can do to reduce it, to create those SIMs But sometimes this can help them understand it a little bit better The Cup as Capacity So, our cup is the capacity for us to cope with everything that’s going on When I say us, I mean our nervous system We all have a certain amount that we can cope with, and this is represented by the cup, and this is different for everyone And it may also change in size, depending on many different factors It could be that your capacity to cope is less, say, during your period So, your cup is your capacity The things that go into your cup are all the things that are a threat or danger to you And when your cup overflows, this is when pain is produced Linking DIMs and SIMs Linking back to the DIMs and SIMs The DIMs are all the things that go in the cup The SIMs are the cup Using Different Analogies I use lots of these different analogies because some people sometimes don’t understand one of them and it doesn’t click, and that’s when I use a different analogy Please don’t think you need to remember all these analogies Take what you need, discard the rest Other Uses of the Cup Analogy With this overflowing cup, I’ve used the same analogy in the past to describe my capacity to cope when it comes to burnout Or energy levels if clients have chronic fatigue And it’s the same idea Remember that pain is just an output, a response It may not always show up as pain when we have filled our cup or overfilled our cup It could show up as fatigue or burnout or anger or resentment or tears or gut issues, anything ⸻ Resources or Mentioned Greg Lehmann DIMs (Danger In Me) SIMs (Safety In Me) Next lesson → [[Untangling Pain – Module 1 Lesson 11|next lesson]]