Breaking Point Foundation » crisis http://www.abusepreventionteam.org Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:25:16 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Common Elements of a Crisis: The State of Active Crisis, Part 1 http://www.abusepreventionteam.org/common-elements-of-a-crisis-the-state-of-active-crisis-part-1/ http://www.abusepreventionteam.org/common-elements-of-a-crisis-the-state-of-active-crisis-part-1/#comments Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:52:59 +0000 http://www.abusepreventionteam.org/?p=21 When a person with a great problem can no longer handle the situation, the active crisis develops. There are indications of this state and they are listed below.

1. Symptoms of stress – psychological, physiological, or both.

This indicator may include headaches, anxiety, depression and even bleeding ulcers. The point is that some type of extreme discomfort is always present.

2. An attitude of panic or defeat.

The person in active crisis may feel frustrated and that he has tried everything and nothing works. Therefor, he feels like a failure – defeated, helpless and overwhelmed. He feels like there is no more hope for him.

At this time, he has two ways of responding:

a) …becoming agitated with behavior that is unproductive. This may include drinking, taking drugs, speeding or getting into a fight.

b) …becoming apathetic. An example is excessive sleeping.

]]> http://www.abusepreventionteam.org/common-elements-of-a-crisis-the-state-of-active-crisis-part-1/feed/ 0 Common Elements of a Crisis: The Vulnerable State http://www.abusepreventionteam.org/common-elements-of-a-crisis-the-vulnerable-state/ http://www.abusepreventionteam.org/common-elements-of-a-crisis-the-vulnerable-state/#comments Fri, 12 Sep 2008 04:39:56 +0000 http://www.abusepreventionteam.org/?p=13 For a person to be considered in a crisis, the person must be in a vulnerable state. Going without sleep for a couple of nights can make a person vulnerable to a situation to a situation that that person would usually handle easily. Illness or depression lowers the capability to cope.

It is important that during times of vulnerability to guide and counsel the person to not make any major decision because such decisions are regretted later most of the time.

]]> http://www.abusepreventionteam.org/common-elements-of-a-crisis-the-vulnerable-state/feed/ 0 What Is A Crisis? http://www.abusepreventionteam.org/what-is-a-crisis/ http://www.abusepreventionteam.org/what-is-a-crisis/#comments Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:45:34 +0000 http://www.abusepreventionteam.org/?p=17 Webster defines crisis as a “crucial time” and “a turning point in the course of anything.” Usually, the term crisis is used for a person’s internal reaction to an external hazard. A crisis most often manifests in a temporary loss of coping abilities, and the assumption is that the emotional dysfunction is reversible. If the person effectively copes with the threat, then he returns to prior levels of functioning.

In Chinese characters, crisis is made up of two symbols: one is for despair (the negative) and the other is for opportunity (the positive). When professionals talk about a crisis, they are talking about the moment when a change for the worse or better happens. When a counselor talks about a particular crisis, he talks about a turning point when that situation can move toward growth, enrichment and improvement; or move toward dissatisfaction, pain, and in some cases, dissolution.

A crisis can be the result of one or more factors. It can be a result of an overwhelming problem, such us a death of a loved one. It could be a problem that is generally not too serious but, for a given person, has special significance and so becomes overwhelming to that individual. It could be a problem that comes during a time of unpreparedness. A crisis could come when a person’s coping mechanisms are not working or when a person’s support system is down.

But, a crisis is not always bad. It represents a pivotal point or turning point – in our organization, we call it a breaking point – in a person’s life that can bring opportunity as well as danger.

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