Drinking From a Firehose

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Photo credit (edited), photo credit (edited), fair use

The term “drinking from a firehose” suggests that a person is taking on or being inundated by more of something than the individual is capable of handling (e.g., information). When recently discussing this phrase with a client, I thought a blogpost may benefit other people as well.

Today is February 8, 2025, and I wonder whether or not you can recall information from July 13, 2024, when then-former President of the United States (U.S.) Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt while speaking at an open-air campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania.

Although Trump was running against then-President of the U.S. Joe Biden—who per available information expressed his intention to remain in the presidential race on July 8, 2024—latter information was released on July 21, 2024 about Biden dropping out of the race. Remember?

Perhaps you recall information from September 15, 2024, when Trump again survived an assassination attempt while golfing at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. How much do you know about either assassination attempt or the alleged shooters?

I fault no one for being unable to recall the details. Instead, you may recall information about Hurricane Helene which was a devastating tropical cyclone that caused widespread catastrophic damage and numerous fatalities across the Southeastern U.S. in late September 2024.

How much do you remember about that event? Maybe these events are too distant from your mind. You may have some recollection of these incidents, though it may be of more use to jog your memory with relatively recent events instead.

What do you recall about information concerning January 1, 2025, when a man was said to have driven a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, killing 14 people, and then engaging in a shootout with police before being fatally shot? Do you recall?

Perhaps during the bread and circuses event that will take place tomorrow, known as Super Bowl LIX – which will occur in New Orleans, you’ll be reminded of how recent that massacre was. Maybe while you’re eating brioche the victims will cross your mind. Maybe, maybe not.

Do you recall information also from January 1, 2025, when a Cybertruck exploded outside of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada after the vehicle’s occupant allegedly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head immediately prior to the explosion?

Two truck-involved events occurred only a month ago. Do you remember these occurrences? If so, what do you recall about these events other than reporter Jennie Taer having apparently worn “yoga pants” while ostensibly touring the alleged home of the New Orleans truck driver’s home?

Maybe you haven’t been paying attention. Instead, you may’ve focused on information regarding a series of 7 destructive wildfires which affected the Los Angeles metropolitan area and San Diego County in California from January 7 to 31, 2025. What do you recall about these fires?

It very well could be the case that the matters referenced thus far in this post aren’t subject to your immediate recall. Very well, what do you remember about information regarding the many executive orders Trump has issued since January 20, 2025?

The apparent rule by fiat strategy that appears to serve as precedent at this point – whereby each president essentially plays a tit for tat game of undoing work of one’s predecessor while ostensibly dictating monarchic edicts – is something you may consider worth remembering. No?

I could go on and on, though I think I’ve offered enough information herein to support a psychoeducational lesson. There’s so much information available about so many things that what was once something akin to a 48-hour news cycle is now more like a 4-hour turnover of events.

Even significant occurrences such as assassination attempts are drown in the spray of a proverbial firehose which also delivers information about local, state, federal, and international affairs. It’s virtually impossible to take it all in or process it to any meaningful degree.

Herein, I haven’t even mentioned that the U.S. is still backing two foreign wars in Ukraine and Israel. (Oh, wait. I just mentioned it.) How could any individual possibly keep up with the vast stream of information for which humans arguably aren’t evolved to ingest this quickly?

I argue that we can’t consume everything or even most things. Still, for many people, drinking from a firehose is believed to be stressful. However, from a Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) perspective, in particular the ABC model, I understand that this simply isn’t the case.

Rather, when you drink from a firehose of information (Action) and Believe that undesirable events shouldn’t happen, that they’re awful, that you can’t stand such news, or that life is worthless due to constant chaos, it’s your attitude that causes unpleasant Consequences.

These outcomes include unhelpful cognitive, emotive, sensational, and behavioral experiences. In REBT, this Belief-Consequence (B-C) connection is known as the process of self-disturbance.

As an example, you hear unexpected news (Action) and Believe that life must be easier than it is, and as a result you think about being helpless, feel fear and tightness in your chest, and you doomscroll in the supposed interest of preparing yourself for catastrophe (Consequence).

Given this perspective, drinking from a firehose isn’t a phrase that truly suggests you’re incapable of handling something such as undesirable information. Instead, the B-C connection is what causes a proverbial drowning effect when ingesting news. Think you can remember that?

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

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