History Main / TraumaSwing

* ''{{Supernatural}}'': Bella is seen sitting on a swingset after being molested by her father.

* About once a month, someone angsting in [[Eastenders Albert Square]] chills out at the playground to sulk until they're found.

* In {{Hayate no Gotoku}}, Young Hinagiku is shown to be alone on a swing in an image after her parents have abandoned her.

* ''HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'': HarryPotter start this way.

* ''TheEndOfEvangelion'': Came up in flashbacks of Shinji's childhood. It is also used in a scene during Asuka's MindRape sequence. Asuka is sitting naked in the TroubledFetalPosition in front of a swing set and is confronted with a younger version of herself.

* ''ButThatWasYesterday''. This happens to the guy after [[spoiler:his girlfriend leaves him]].

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[[caption-width-right:350:[-See more images on [[ImageLinks/TraumaSwing Image Links Wiki]].-] ]]

* Ace is shown like this in the ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' episode "Epilogue". [[spoiler: She's dying of a brain aneurysm.]] Batman then sits down on the swing next to her to comfort her.

* Something of the sort came up in flashbacks of Shinji's childhood in ''TheEndOfEvangelion''.
* Also used in one scene during Asuka's MindRape sequence. Asuka is sitting naked in the TroubledFetalPosition in front of a swing set and is confronted with a younger version of herself.
* As shown above, ''{{Naruto}}'' sometimes uses a swing to illustrate Naruto's lonely childhood.
* Gaara is also shown sitting on a swing in his childhood flashbacks.
* After being conclusively rejected by [[WholesomeCrossdresser Ukyou]] in ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'' [[WholesomeCrossdresser Tsubasa]] [[MasterOfDisguise Kurenai]] is found on a swing, disguised as/''inside'' a trash can for good measure. [[GenderBender Female Ranma]] tries to comfort Tsubasa, saying that there'll be someone else... an act of kindness that makes Tsubasa fall for Ranma instead.
* Mai in ''{{Mai-Hime}}'' does this after she discovers [[spoiler:she's destined to fight and kill her friends in order to save the world, has a fight with her best friend, ''and'' finds out that the sickly brother she has worked so hard to take care of feels burdened by her. On top of all that, while she's sitting on the TraumaSwing, the boy she likes and the ClingyJealousGirl walk by and kiss in front of her (although he does not know she is watching).]] The end of the episode shows her lying in bed, realizing, "I've lost everything." And then ItGotWorse.

* Happens in SensitivePornograph.

* The surviving daughter of the Munchausen's-Syndrome-by-Proxy mother in ''TheSixthSense'' is shown on a swing during the funeral.
* Ronald [=McGorvey=] (Jackie Earl Haley) does this at the end of ''Little Children''.
* In ''ChildrenOfMen'', Ki, about to have the first baby after all women have become sterile, does this, not knowing whether her baby will survive or how it might change things after she gives birth.

* HarryPotter at the start of ''HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix''.
* Scout in ''The Sugar Skull'' is rather perky while visiting the local playground and spending some time on the swings, but her backstory gives the visit elements of this. She tells Eve that she remembers her mom pushing her and her younger brother on the swings, but also admits that it might have been a scene on television instead. Considering she spent most of her time [[spoiler: caring for her younger brother, who had an unspecified developmental disability, then ran away after years of rape at the hands of her mother's boyfriend, it probably wasn't an accurate recollection of her childhood.]]

* There was an episode of ''ArrestedDevelopment'' that had a depressed Buster and GOB sitting on swings at the local playground. Then GOB started half-heartedly pushing Buster on the swing and Buster got really into it.
* Bella on ''{{Supernatural}}'' is seen sitting on a swingset after being molested by her father.
* On the HBO series ''InTreatment'', Oliver does this after running away from the therapist's office, and asks the therapist if he can come live with him instead of his parents.

* The episode "Standing In The Dark," off ''DegrassiTheNextGeneration'', has Darcy [[spoiler:break down and tell Manny about being raped]] on a swing.

* ''[[FirstEncounterAssaultRecon F.E.A.R.2]]'': We're see [[StringyHairedGhostGirl Alma]].
* The cover for ''SilentHillShatteredMemories'' contains an odd example, where Cheryl is not only shown on a swing, but literally ''frozen''.

** "I Was Made To Love You"; Warrens luv-bot ''dies'' while sitting on swing. Just about as sad as it gets.

* On the HBO sereis ''InTreatment'', Oliver does this after running away from the therapist's office, and asks the therapist if he can come live with him instead of his parents.
* In ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', "Ted", Buffy is seen sitting on a swingset after her problems with mother's new boyfriend, Ted.

** Also used in one scene during Asuka's MindRape sequence. Asuka is sitting naked in the TroubledFetalPosition in front of a swing set and is confronted with a younger version of herself.

** Gaara is also shown sitting on a swing in his childhood flashbacks.

* Mai in ''{{Mai-Hime}}'' does this after she discovers [[spoiler:she's destined to fight and kill her friends in order to save the world, has a fight with her best friend, ''and'' finds out that the sickly brother she has worked so hard to take care of feels burdened by her. On top of all that, while she's sitting on the TraumaSwing, the boy she likes and the ClingyJealousGirl walk by and kiss in front of her (although he does not know she is watching).]]
** The end of the episode shows her lying in bed, realizing, "I've lost everything." And then ItGotWorse.

* Early footage of ''[[FirstEncounterAssaultRecon F.E.A.R.2]]'' suggests we're going to see [[StringyHairedGhostGirl Alma]] do this at some point.
** She does, a few times in fact.

* ''TheSimpsons'': Jesus is shown sitting on a lonely swing in heaven, traumatized by what the "people down there" did to him.

[[{{Naruto}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/naruto_sad.jpg]]

* Showed up in a few ''{{Rugrats}}'' episodes.
* ''AsToldByGinger'': Whenever Ginger was troubled over something, or just lost in her thoughts she would sit on the swing set in her backyard.

* ''TheSimpsons'': Jesus is shown sitting on a lonely swing in heaven, traumatized by what the "people down there" did to him.
** In an earlier episode, Homer and Ned sit on the backyard swings and talk about how Ned NeverGotToSayGoodbye to his recently-deceased wife.
* There was an episode of ''ArrestedDevelopment'' that had a depressed Buster and GOB sitting on swings at the local playground. Then GOB started half-heartedly pushing Buster on the swing and Buster got really into it.
* The surviving daughter of the Munchausen's-Syndrome-by-Proxy mother in ''TheSixthSense'' is shown on a swing during the funeral.
* Ronald [=McGorvey=] (Jackie Earl Haley) does this at the end of ''Little Children''.
* Ace is shown like this in the ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' episode "Epilogue". [[spoiler: She's dying of a brain aneurysm.]] Batman then sits down on the swing next to her to comfort her.

* HarryPotter at the start of ''HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix''.
* Early footage of ''[[FirstEncounterAssaultRecon F.E.A.R.2]]'' suggests we're going to see [[StringyHairedGhostGirl Alma]] do this at some point.
** She does, a few times in fact.

* Bella on ''Supernatural'' is seen sitting on a swingset after being molested by her father.

* On the HBO sereis ''InTreatment'', Oliver does this after running away from the therapist's office, and asks the therapist if he can come live with him instead of his parents.
* In ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', "Ted", Buffy is seen sitting on a swingset after her problems with mother's new boyfriend, Ted.
* The episode "Standing In The Dark," off ''DegrassiTheNextGeneration'', has Darcy [[spoiler:break down and tell Manny about being raped]] on a swing.
* [[{{Calvin And Hobbes}} Calvin]] once did this at school recess after the bully made him give up his toy truck. There's some {{Lampshade Hanging}} from another boy next to him: "Hey, kid, are you going to use that swing or what?"

* The cover for SilentHillShatteredMemories contains an odd example, where Cheryl is not only shown on a swing, but literally ''frozen''.

A popular way to illustrate that someone suffers from a trauma of some sorts is showing him or her sitting alone on a swing, eyes to the ground, often at dusk or at night. The trauma in question is in most cases related to a childhood experience. The one sitting on the swing can be both adult and children. If it's done with children it often indicates parental abuse or other family troubles, if done with adults it can show how they are still suffering from their childhood experiences.

* Ronald Mc Gorvey (Jackie Earl Haley) does this at the end of ''Little Children''.