CRISIS THEORYCRISIS THEORY

MAEPMAEP

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WHAT IS CRISIS?WHAT IS CRISIS?

• A state that exists when a person is A state that exists when a person is thrown completely off balance thrown completely off balance emotionally by an unexpected and emotionally by an unexpected and potentially harmful event or difficult potentially harmful event or difficult development transition.development transition.

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STRESS AND CRISIS . . .STRESS AND CRISIS . . .• The major difference between stress and The major difference between stress and

crisis is that a crisis is limited, whereas stress crisis is that a crisis is limited, whereas stress can be ongoing.can be ongoing.

• Crisis are not usually predictable or expectedCrisis are not usually predictable or expected

• This unexpectedness can intensify the This unexpectedness can intensify the reaction to crisis. reaction to crisis.

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WHAT IS CRISIS?WHAT IS CRISIS?• A person in crisis feels a loss of control and A person in crisis feels a loss of control and

power over him/herself and the course of power over him/herself and the course of his/her life. his/her life.

• Results of a crisis are also known as Results of a crisis are also known as

disequilibrium, disorientation, and disequilibrium, disorientation, and disruption. disruption.

• It is the intense emotional experience of It is the intense emotional experience of these states that creates the crisis.these states that creates the crisis.

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WHAT IS CRISIS?WHAT IS CRISIS?• Common feeling responses to crisis include:Common feeling responses to crisis include:

• apathy, apathy,

• depression, depression,

• guilt, and guilt, and

• loss of self-esteem. loss of self-esteem.

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WHAT IS CRISIS?WHAT IS CRISIS?• When we talk about crises, we are When we talk about crises, we are

referring to people’s referring to people’s emotional emotional reactionsreactions to a situation, to a situation, not the not the situationsituation itself. itself.

• Therefore, crisis intervention helpers Therefore, crisis intervention helpers work with a work with a person’s perceptions and person’s perceptions and judgments of the crisis,judgments of the crisis, not with the not with the event itself.event itself.

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KINDS OF CRISESKINDS OF CRISES• Dispositional Crises: Dispositional Crises:

These crises can ensue from a lack of These crises can ensue from a lack of information, such as not knowing information, such as not knowing which job to take, what type of which job to take, what type of medical referral to seek for a medical referral to seek for a particular symptom, what one’s particular symptom, what one’s options are about living options are about living arrangements, whom to ask for what.arrangements, whom to ask for what.

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KINDS OF CRISESKINDS OF CRISES

• Anticipated life transition: Anticipated life transition:

They may result from midlife career They may result from midlife career changes, getting married, becoming changes, getting married, becoming a parent, divorce, the onset chronic a parent, divorce, the onset chronic or terminal illness, or changing or terminal illness, or changing schools.schools.

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KINDS OF CRISESKINDS OF CRISES• Traumatic stress:Traumatic stress:

Unexpected, uncontrolled, and Unexpected, uncontrolled, and emotionally overwhelming emotionally overwhelming situations, i.e., rape, assault, sudden situations, i.e., rape, assault, sudden death of a loved one, sudden loss of death of a loved one, sudden loss of job or status, sudden onset of job or status, sudden onset of illness, accident, and war.illness, accident, and war.

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KINDS OF CRISESKINDS OF CRISES

• Maturational / developmental Maturational / developmental crisiscrisis::

Reflects issues of dependency, Reflects issues of dependency, value conflicts, and sexual value conflicts, and sexual identity, or our capacity for identity, or our capacity for emotional intimacy, our emotional intimacy, our response to authority, or our response to authority, or our level of self-discipline. level of self-discipline.

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KINDS OF CRISESKINDS OF CRISES• Maturational / developmental crisis:Maturational / developmental crisis:

Example: Example:

- Repeated loss of jobs because of an - Repeated loss of jobs because of an inability to get along with supervisors, inability to get along with supervisors, - The intense homesickness or - The intense homesickness or depression of college students away depression of college students away from home for the first time, and from home for the first time, and - Midlife crisis- Midlife crisis

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KINDS OF CRISESKINDS OF CRISES• Psychopathological crises:Psychopathological crises: These are These are

emotional crises precipitated by pre-emotional crises precipitated by pre-existing psychopathology. existing psychopathology.

• Psychiatric emergencies:Psychiatric emergencies: One is One is

rendered incompetent or unable to rendered incompetent or unable to maintain responsibility for oneself - one maintain responsibility for oneself - one is dangerous to oneself, to others, or to is dangerous to oneself, to others, or to both.both.

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4 Phases of a Crisis 4 Phases of a Crisis Reaction Reaction (Caplan) :(Caplan) :• Phase 1: Phase 1:

The initial phase, in which one The initial phase, in which one experiences the beginning of tension experiences the beginning of tension and attempts to use habitual kinds of and attempts to use habitual kinds of problem solving to restore one’s problem solving to restore one’s emotional equilibrium.emotional equilibrium.

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4 Phases of a Crisis 4 Phases of a Crisis Reaction Reaction (Caplan) :(Caplan) :• Phase 2:Phase 2:

This phase is characterized by an This phase is characterized by an increase in tension, leading to upset increase in tension, leading to upset and ineffectual functioning when one’s and ineffectual functioning when one’s habitual problem-solving strategies fail; habitual problem-solving strategies fail; at this phase, one attempts trial-and-at this phase, one attempts trial-and-error strategies to resolve the problemerror strategies to resolve the problem

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4 Phases of a Crisis 4 Phases of a Crisis Reaction Reaction (Caplan) :(Caplan) :• Phase 3:Phase 3:

This phase is characterized by This phase is characterized by increased tension, requiring additional increased tension, requiring additional helping resources such as emergency helping resources such as emergency and novel problem-solving strategies; if and novel problem-solving strategies; if one is successful at this phase, one is one is successful at this phase, one is able to redefine the problem and resign able to redefine the problem and resign oneself to it or resolve it.oneself to it or resolve it.

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4 Phases of a Crisis 4 Phases of a Crisis Reaction Reaction (Caplan) :(Caplan) :• Phase 4:Phase 4:

This phase occurs when the problem This phase occurs when the problem has not been resolved in the previous has not been resolved in the previous phases and may result in major phases and may result in major personality disorganization and personality disorganization and emotional breakdown.emotional breakdown.

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Crisis TheoryCrisis Theory

• Current Crisis Theory suggests Current Crisis Theory suggests that unresolved bereavement that unresolved bereavement from earlier losses (of a person, a from earlier losses (of a person, a relationship, security, capacity, relationship, security, capacity, and a dream) affects not only and a dream) affects not only one’s later day-to-day one’s later day-to-day functioning, but also one’s functioning, but also one’s reactions to subsequent crises. reactions to subsequent crises.

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Crisis TheoryCrisis Theory

• It is important for helpers to It is important for helpers to learn about the victim’s past learn about the victim’s past experiences with abuse and loss experiences with abuse and loss so that helping strategies can be so that helping strategies can be planned that enhance one’s style planned that enhance one’s style of coping. of coping.

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End of PresentationEnd of Presentation

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