Quicksand is an interesting metaphor, because your chances of survival depend highly on how you respond to it. If you panic and believe that you are powerless, the more likely you’ll sink further in. However, if you respond with calmness and use your skills, you can maneuver yourself out of it.

You have been practicing mindfulness, so you already are more skillful and have more knowledge of survival than many others. Chances are that you have much better skills at handling the emotional pain if it comes back. Ironically, what makes pain really painful is when we fight back and refuse to face it. If we’d allow pain to just make it’s way naturally through our mind and just examine it instead of fighting it, it would feel more like sorrow and sadness.