Crisis Management - part one
Reporting from Beta Blogs.
Class notes from Crisis Management. Useful for those who miss class, or want to know what the demon monkeys I’m learning about.
Notes from week one. Week two to follow later today.
What is a crisis:
Refers to person’s feelings of fear, shock, distress about the disruption - not the disruption itself
Crisis is a perception of an event or situation as an intolerable difficulty that exceeds the resources and coping mechanisms of the person
A state of disequilibrium that occurs after a stressor (precipitating event), and the coping mechanisms fail; the person is unable to cope/function
Crisis has three parts
Precipitating event occurs
Perception of even leads to subjective distress
Usual coping mechanisms fail, and therefore the function levels fail
Crisis states are often normal responses to stress that last about four-six weeks
Type of help received often determines person’s outcome - whether he/she emerges stronger/weaker
Six characteristics of a crisis
1. Crises as danger and as opportunity. Danger = potential to overwhelm, and result in pathology/ suicide. Opportunity=to seek help and fain from experience, and thus grow.
Three ways one may react to crises
a) cope effectively by self (and gain from experience)
b) change in that they survive crisis, but block awareness and hurt, so it haunts them forever
c) break down psychologically and demonstrate they need immediate help
2. Complicated symptomology
3. Seeds of grown and change (wait, hang one, didn’t we just have this one?)
4. No. Quick. Fix. (so stop asking) No panacea. Pity, really.
5. Necessity of choice
6. Universality and idiosyncrasy (hey, we had this one earlier too!)
Crisis-prone persons fail to grow from a crisis experience and emerge using defence mechanisms (denial, repression, projection, etc). Ego strength (the degree to which a person sees reality clearly and can meet his/her needs realistically) is weak and therefore the person is vulnerable to another crisis.
Nobody is immune to a crisis, although you may be defensible against it.
It is foolish to believe oneself to be immune to crises, or that one is ‘strong enough’ to handle it all (war vets, PTSD, etc). There is some research to suggest that there are six major sources of support that may help one cope with difficulties:
1) Intellectual functions. The ability to act decisively and use problem-solving techniques
2) Interpersonal assets. Those who can rely on others for help; possess family and/or friends who offer support
3) Emotional rescues. Ability to help oneself, not fully reliant on others, ability to face problems, endure uncertainty, allow self to express emotions clearly and freely.
4) Hope. Having reason for living and for overcoming problems.
5) Self-motivation. Desire to take care of self, must want to come out as a winner.
6) Healthy personality. Basic personality of being able to ask for help, use help, make decisions, face challenges, enjoy challenges, and learn from past mistakes.
3 types of crisis
a. Developmental crises (c.f. Erikson). Normal growth of person and developmental stages may leave a person vulnerable and result inn an abnormal result. (birth, death, left, retire)
b. Situational crises. Emerge when uncertain, unpredictable event occurs and individual has no way to control it
c. Existential Crises. Refers to inner conflicts/ anxieties accompanying realisations of purpose in life and/or respect, freedom, commitment, etc
Class notes from Crisis Management. Useful for those who miss class, or want to know what the demon monkeys I’m learning about.
Notes from week one. Week two to follow later today.
What is a crisis:
Refers to person’s feelings of fear, shock, distress about the disruption - not the disruption itself
Crisis is a perception of an event or situation as an intolerable difficulty that exceeds the resources and coping mechanisms of the person
A state of disequilibrium that occurs after a stressor (precipitating event), and the coping mechanisms fail; the person is unable to cope/function
Crisis has three parts
Precipitating event occurs
Perception of even leads to subjective distress
Usual coping mechanisms fail, and therefore the function levels fail
Crisis states are often normal responses to stress that last about four-six weeks
Type of help received often determines person’s outcome - whether he/she emerges stronger/weaker
Six characteristics of a crisis
1. Crises as danger and as opportunity. Danger = potential to overwhelm, and result in pathology/ suicide. Opportunity=to seek help and fain from experience, and thus grow.
Three ways one may react to crises
a) cope effectively by self (and gain from experience)
b) change in that they survive crisis, but block awareness and hurt, so it haunts them forever
c) break down psychologically and demonstrate they need immediate help
2. Complicated symptomology
3. Seeds of grown and change (wait, hang one, didn’t we just have this one?)
4. No. Quick. Fix. (so stop asking) No panacea. Pity, really.
5. Necessity of choice
6. Universality and idiosyncrasy (hey, we had this one earlier too!)
Crisis-prone persons fail to grow from a crisis experience and emerge using defence mechanisms (denial, repression, projection, etc). Ego strength (the degree to which a person sees reality clearly and can meet his/her needs realistically) is weak and therefore the person is vulnerable to another crisis.
Nobody is immune to a crisis, although you may be defensible against it.
It is foolish to believe oneself to be immune to crises, or that one is ‘strong enough’ to handle it all (war vets, PTSD, etc). There is some research to suggest that there are six major sources of support that may help one cope with difficulties:
1) Intellectual functions. The ability to act decisively and use problem-solving techniques
2) Interpersonal assets. Those who can rely on others for help; possess family and/or friends who offer support
3) Emotional rescues. Ability to help oneself, not fully reliant on others, ability to face problems, endure uncertainty, allow self to express emotions clearly and freely.
4) Hope. Having reason for living and for overcoming problems.
5) Self-motivation. Desire to take care of self, must want to come out as a winner.
6) Healthy personality. Basic personality of being able to ask for help, use help, make decisions, face challenges, enjoy challenges, and learn from past mistakes.
3 types of crisis
a. Developmental crises (c.f. Erikson). Normal growth of person and developmental stages may leave a person vulnerable and result inn an abnormal result. (birth, death, left, retire)
b. Situational crises. Emerge when uncertain, unpredictable event occurs and individual has no way to control it
c. Existential Crises. Refers to inner conflicts/ anxieties accompanying realisations of purpose in life and/or respect, freedom, commitment, etc