Crisis Theory

Stress is simply a reaction to a stimulus that disturbs our physical or mental equilibrium. In other words, it's an omnipresent part of life.

1. CRISIS THEORYCRISIS THEORY
MAEPMAEP
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2. 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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3. STRESS AND CRISIS . . .STRESS AND CRISIS . . .
•The major difference between stress The major difference between stress
and crisis is that a crisis is limited, and crisis is that a crisis is limited,
whereas stress can be ongoing.whereas stress can be ongoing.

•Crisis are not usually predictable or Crisis are not usually predictable or
expectedexpected
•This unexpectedness can intensify the This unexpectedness can intensify the
reaction to crisis. reaction to crisis.
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4. WHAT IS CRISIS?WHAT IS CRISIS?
•A person in crisis feels a loss of A person in crisis feels a loss of
control and power over him/herself control and power over him/herself
and the course of his/her life. and the course of 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 It is the intense emotional experience
of these states that creates the of these states that creates the
crisis.crisis. 44

5. WHAT IS CRISIS?WHAT IS CRISIS?
•Common feeling responses to crisis Common feeling responses to crisis
include:include:
•apathy, apathy,
•depression, depression,
•guilt, and guilt, and
•loss of self-esteem. loss of self-esteem.

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6. 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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7. KINDS OF CRISESKINDS OF CRISES
•Dispositional Crises: Dispositional Crises:
These crises can ensue from a lack These crises can ensue from a lack
of information, such as not of information, such as not
knowing which job to take, what knowing which job to take, what
type of medical referral to seek for type of medical referral to seek for
a particular symptom, what one’s a particular symptom, what one’s
options are about living options are about living
arrangements, whom to ask for arrangements, whom to ask for
what.what.
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8. 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, changes, getting married,
becoming a parent, divorce, the becoming a parent, divorce, the
onset chronic or terminal illness, or onset chronic or terminal illness, or
changing schools.changing schools.
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9. KINDS OF CRISESKINDS OF CRISES
•Traumatic stress:Traumatic stress:
Unexpected, uncontrolled, and Unexpected, uncontrolled, and
emotionally overwhelming emotionally overwhelming
situations, i.e., rape, assault, situations, i.e., rape, assault,
sudden death of a loved one, sudden death of a loved one,
sudden loss of job or status, sudden loss of job or status,
sudden onset of illness, accident, sudden onset of illness, accident,
and war.and war.
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10. 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 response emotional intimacy, our response
to authority, or our level of self-to authority, or our level of self-
discipline. discipline.
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11. 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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12. KINDS OF CRISESKINDS OF CRISES
•Psychopathological crises:Psychopathological crises: These These
are emotional crises precipitated by are emotional crises precipitated by
pre-existing psychopathology. pre-existing psychopathology.

•Psychiatric emergencies:Psychiatric emergencies: One is One is
rendered incompetent or unable to rendered incompetent or unable to
maintain responsibility for oneself - maintain responsibility for oneself -
one is dangerous to oneself, to one is dangerous to oneself, to
others, or to both.others, or to both.
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13. 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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14. 4 Phases of a Crisis Reaction 4 Phases of a Crisis 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 habitual problem-solving strategies
fail; at this phase, one attempts trial-fail; at this phase, one attempts trial-
and-error strategies to resolve the and-error strategies to resolve the
problemproblem
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15. 4 Phases of a Crisis Reaction 4 Phases of a Crisis 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; and novel problem-solving strategies;
if one is successful at this phase, one if one is successful at this phase, one
is able to redefine the problem and is able to redefine the problem and
resign oneself to it or resolve it.resign oneself to it or resolve it.
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16. 4 Phases of a Crisis Reaction 4 Phases of a Crisis 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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17. Crisis TheoryCrisis Theory
•Current Crisis Theory suggests that Current Crisis Theory suggests that
unresolved bereavement from unresolved bereavement from
earlier losses (of a person, a earlier losses (of a person, a
relationship, security, capacity, and relationship, security, capacity, and
a dream) affects not only one’s a dream) affects not only one’s
later day-to-day functioning, but later day-to-day functioning, but
also one’s reactions to subsequent also one’s reactions to subsequent
crises. crises.
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18. Crisis TheoryCrisis Theory
•It is important for helpers to learn It is important for helpers to learn
about the victim’s past experiences about the victim’s past experiences
with abuse and loss so that helping with abuse and loss so that helping
strategies can be planned that strategies can be planned that
enhance one’s style of coping. enhance one’s style of coping.
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19. End of PresentationEnd of Presentation
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