Mechanical explosions happen because of pressure vessels. A classic example of this would be an “MRE bomb.” The water activated heater from the meal is put into a partially filled water bottle, shaken vigorously, and tossed in the direction of an unsuspecting victim. Gas pressure exceeds the bottle’s structural integrity and explosive decompression causes a loud “pop” to occur. (If you have a funny story, leave it in the comment section at the bottom of the page!)

The Problem

What’s that sound?! I hear a torrent of water gushing below me as I adjust the living room thermostat in the morning. I rush down the basement stairs to find the water heater spewing from three locations…

What if it’s not normal? What if something deeper is wrong or was set up incorrectly to begin with?

A few years ago, the lower element of the water heater started to leak. Excess sediment in the bottom of the tank required me to remove the valve to drain it. I flushed the tank, replaced the valve, tapped the threads, and installed a new element.

A year or two after that, both elements began to leak and I found that the outlet pipe of the heater was leaking as well. It took a few days to resolve. I knew the sacrificial anode needed to be replaced but it was rusted into the tank and I was tired, over the whole thing, and ready to move on. I did make a meager attempt at removal but was unwilling to perform the necessary amalgamation of chemistry and calisthenics to achieve the desired result.

Stuck and Settling

That repair lasted maybe six months before the bottom element began to leak again. A mental obstruction created, I went about my life, apathetic to water on my basement floor. After all, I thought, it’s a 1700’s stone farmhouse, the floor is wet for many reasons throughout the year.

Sometimes you make a breakthrough in therapy or go to a program that teaches you an awesome coping skill. You feel like you have it made. But, if you haven’t dealt with the root of the issue, if you haven’t solved the source of the pressure, stress is going to cause your issues to build up and leak out again.
It might be an unintentional, catastrophic release of pressure. Let’s hope not.

A few weeks ago I went to get some food from the shelves in the basement and observed a significant increase of water moving from the heater toward the drain. Still, I had other things to attend to and did not want to revisit that struggle again.

Every few days I would be in the basement for something and would glance over, noticing the problem incrementally increasing. It’s all good, I’m sure it’ll last awhile longer…

Nope. Eventually things arrive at their breaking point, and break.

Breaking and Coping

We’ve all reached our breaking point in some way, at some time. Many of us arrive there again and again. You can always find a new way to fail. The frightening thing is, some of you know you’re at max pressure. You’ve been staring at your gauge for awhile now, tempting fate. You use drugs (that includes alcohol and caffeine), food, exercise, sex, meditation, tapping, breathing, or whatever to release just enough to stay under the threshold.

I personally know a few vets who have installed new gauges with higher red lines. They hope that telling others they’re good to go will help them be that way. You can only fake fine so long.

To be clear, I’m not saying that coping techniques shouldn’t be used or that the regular practice of positive self care is just a bandaid on a sucking chest wound. There are great coping techniques and habits of self care that should be utilized before, during, and after finding the root cause of your problem and addressing it.
That’s how you get better in the long term; get to the hospital and surgically repair the (metaphorical) chest wound. The victim can’t survive forever with just a chest seal.

Fake it

Fake it till you make it doesn’t work well in mental health. We’re aghast when someone who looked fine suddenly commits suicide. Appearances are deceiving. Why do we keep lying to ourselves? “This is how it is from now on and I’ve made my peace with that.” It can always be better!

I know some of you out there are immediately thinking, “It can always be worse.” I agree with you BUT you deserve to try for better. Do it for yourself. Do it for everyone around you and your loved ones!

I can’t say I was shocked when this water heater popped. We’ve had a few issues with them at our house. Our well is really dirty / iron filled. We have a whole water system to filter, sanitize, and soften the water before we heat it. The appliance being discussed was in use for years with no filtration of any kind, before we purchased the house.

If you know the history of something, it can be a good predictor of the future.

There are few that make it through life without having serious trauma of some sort; none just “get over it.” Rehabilitation is a major investment but it is the way through the issue, the path from survival to over-coming, from disorder to growth.

It’s a slow process to do things the right way. Generally it starts with education. What went wrong and why? Explosive decompression is highly inadvisable; let the pressure off gradually, in a controlled manner with a trained clinician.

A Partial Fix

In my case, the heater had been installed long before the water treatment system. When we bought the house, at least it was directly adjacent the well pressure tank on the cold side where it needed to be. BUT, in solving the issue of water clarity and health, the water treatment specialist cut the heater off from the pressure tank. Some times solving one problem creates another.

Think you’ve got things under control? Awesome. Bring in a trusted outside consultant to evaluate the realities of your perspective. You might find the actuality is quite different. Some specialists are good at fixing one issue but won’t see the conflict or interaction with another area of your life.

Coping

Our problems can be escaped by coping techniques, but what if how we’re coping is actually hurting us? Can you see it? Sometimes you can but can’t help yourself. These coping techniques can ignore damage the excess pressure creates on the system.

I’ve been mulling over the idea of coping techniques for a long time. THIS ARTICLE professionally articulates what I’ve been feeling. I am saddened by so many people who settle for a low quality of life in their quest for mental health. They reach a sub-optimal homeostasis and believe that’s as good as it’s going to get.

With no one pushing them to seek out the best programs, the competent counselors, and the deeper meaning of why they feel the way they do, they are willing to stay stuck in pain. (Often just Masking it)

Trauma CAN be resolved.

It’s hard, painful, and a longer journey than many are willing to sustain. But life on the other side is sweeter, perspective is golden, and your ability to help and serve others is multiplied exponentially.

I’ve seen helping, volunteering, and giving back used as a HUGE coping mechanism or avoidance technique. That’s a discussion for another day.

Think profound thoughts, go deeper emotionally, and seek spiritual truth.

-Drew OUT!

These Veteran stories of struggle, adventure, and post traumatic growth need to be heard!
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These Veteran stories of struggle, adventure, and post traumatic growth need to be heard!
Join the cause to de-stigmatize mental health issues.
Please SUBSCRIBE, share our website with friends / co-workers, and support us by donation or at the STORE.