We all experience a variety of stressful events in our lifetime. Each of us has unique ways of dealing with these events in order to maintain a comfortable emotional balance, and when the usual coping mechanisms fail, we seek new ways of coping. A crisis state comes into being when these new attempts fail to return us to the pre-crisis level of emotional balance.
Crisis is a state of feeling; an internal experience of confusion and anxiety to the degree that formerly successful coping mechanisms fail us and ineffective decisions and behaviors take their place. As a result, the person in crisis may feel confused, vulnerable, anxious, afraid, angry, guilty, hopeless and helpless. Perceptions often are altered and memory may be distorted.
Crisis is both a time of opportunity and danger. Crisis is useful when it causes one to go beyond familiar coping skills (both internal and external) and to develop new skills, therefore becoming more competent and autonomous. A crisis is dangerous when the person becomes overwhelmed with anxiety and pain and adapts in negative ways.
Good mental health has been described as the result of a life history of successful crisis resolutions.
A crisis state involves the breakdown of coping behavior that may have been adequate in the past, and as such it is a departure from the “status quo” of the caller. A healthy, well-adjusted individual can experience a crisis as can someone who is mentally ill. In neither case do we pass judgment on how the person functions normally, but through crisis intervention assist the caller in returning to whatever is normal for them, hopefully, armed with new, more effective coping skills.
- A precipitating event such as a perceived loss or traumatic experience produces intense anxiety and dependence on problem-solving skills.
- Usual coping skills fail; the problem is still present and anxiety increases. The individual must look outside himself for help.
- External resources may be tapped (religion, other people, alcohol, etc.) and fail to return the person to a comfortable emotional level. Anxiety continues to increase and the person may feel helpless. Perceptions are altered and the individual may think of nothing else but his situation.
- All known internal and external resources fail; this tension and anxiety become unbearable. At this point something must change.
