Chapter 1

What is a Crisis?

Formula for Understandingthe Process of Crisis Formation

1. Precipitating Event Occurs2. Perception of Event Leads to

Subjective Distress3. Subjective Distress Leads to

Impairment in Functioning4. Coping Skills Fail to Improve

Functioning

Formula to Increase Functioning

1. Alter / Change Perception of the Precipitating Event and Offer Coping Strategies

2. Subjective Distress will be lowered

3. Functioning Level returns to Previous level or higher.

Crisis as Danger and Opportunity

Opportunity:• With help / Counseling /

Intervention, the individual survives the crisis with increased coping skills, emotional growth, and resources which prepare him for future stressors.

Danger:• Without Help, the individual may

return to a lowered level of functioning by use of the ego defense mechanisms or remain nonfunctional via suicide, homicide, or psychosis.

The Crisis Prone Person• Experiences a stressor perceived as

threatening which leads to subjective distress and impairment in functioning. Coping methods fail.

• State of disequilibrium ensues for 4-6 weeks.• No intervention / help is sought.• Individual uses ego strength to deny, repress,

dissociate from the meaning of the precipitating event and subjective distress and functions at a lowered level.

• Individual unprepared emotionally to cope with future stressors and easily enters into crisis states when faced with potential precipitating events.

OTHER DETERMINING FACTORS

Material Resources: • money, • shelter, • transportation, • food, • clothing

OTHER DETERMINING FACTORS

Personal Resources: • ego strength, • personality traits, • physical well-being, • intelligence and • education

OTHER DETERMINING FACTORS

Social Resources: • friends, • family, • school mates, • co-workers, • church, • clubs

TYPES OF CRISES

Developmental: • normal, expected, transitional

phases as people move from one stage of life to another. People often unable to cope with evolving needs of family members

Situational: • uncommon, extraordinary events.

No way of forecasting or controlling them, emergency quality

Curvilinear Modelof Anxiety

• Too much anxiety is overwhelming and paralyzing

• Too little anxiety leaves very little motivation to change or accept interventions.

• Moderate anxiety is optimal in motivating people to change and allowing them to utilize personal resources.

• Sometimes an individual needs medication to reduce anxiety to the point where a person can respond to intervention.

• Other times anxiety is encouraged to increase motivation.

Caplan’s 7 Characteristics of Effective Coping Behavior

1. Actively exploring reality issues and searching for information.

2. Freely expressing both positive and negative feeling and tolerating frustration.

3. Actively invoking help from others.4. Breaking problems down into

manageable bits and working through them one at a time.

Caplan’s 7 Characteristics of Effective Coping Behavior

5. Being aware of fatigue and pacing coping efforts while maintaining control in as many areas of functioning as possible.

6. Mastering feelings where possible, being flexible and willing to change.

7. Trusting in oneself and others and having a basic optimism about the outcome.