Defining Crisis

Defining Crisis

Name______

A crisis is the decisive moment or turning point in a situation. Your perceptionof a crisis situation is influenced by all of your past experiences. What may be a major crisis in one family may not be perceived as a crisis in another.

Six Characteristics of Crisis

1. Suddenly - A crisis hits suddenly and without warning

It is the element of unpredictability that makes a crisis different from all other challenges that life will present.

2. Security - A crisis threatens security.

It can threaten a person’s physical, psychological, emotional, economical, or socialwell-being.

Crisis situations cause us to panic because we might lose something very precious- something that has given structure, meaning and purpose to life.

1. Unpredictable - The resolution of a crisis is

unpredictable. There is an element of uncertainty in all heartbreaks. We simply do not know how things are going to turn out. We like to believe that we can weather any storm; but in our quiet moments we wonder whether it can be done. Some crises will be short; others will proceed over a long time and sometimes an entire lifetime.

1. Questions – A crisis presents major questions. The questions arise because there are not clear-cut solutions to difficult problems. Time is the best healer in a crisis situation. This is the time to consult with friends, loved ones, family members and others who can help.
2. Self-confidence - A crisis erodes self-confidence.

The sudden impact of a negative event reminds us that life is fragile. The unpredictability of the outcome leaves us unsettled. Questions create anxiety. The net result is that there may be an apprehension about life that wasn’t present before the crisis

1. Values - A crisis helps us redefine our values.

There is a good side about a crisis experience. Most people, as they look back on the difficult period in their lives, will readily admit that some good came out of it.

And in spite of the anger, bitterness, and even self-doubt, he/she is able to move onto a new era of his/her lives

Categorizing Crisis

1. Lifespan - Lifespan crisis are situations that you are

more likely to experience due to age.

•Older people are more likely to experience a friends death than someone whom is middle aged.

•Another example is that older adults and teens are at greater risk for suicide than other age groups.

2. Situational Crisis – crises that you have to have a qualifying circumstance to experience the crisis.

•You cannot experience divorce if you are not married. However, do you think by living with someone instead of marrying them will make the loss any less if the relationship doesn’t work out?

•Another example is that you cannot experience a car accident if you are no where near a car.

Life events that change or have the potential to produce change in the family cause stress- which are called stressors

Whether stress leads to a crisis depends on the following four factors:

•The event itself

•Number of stressful events experienced at the same time

•How the family identifies and interprets the event

•Resources available to manage the stressful event

Crisis-producing life events

(1) Devastating events that cause a great loss

•Events that cause great losses are more likely to lead to crises than events that cause small losses

(2) Very stressful events that widely impact members

•A stressful event that affects several or all the members in a family is very likely to produce a crisis

(3) Sudden important events

•When an event is unexpected, the family has no time to prepare for the change. If they have no previous experience with such a change, they often feel the situation is out of control.

(4) Events requiring major adjustments

•Events that require little or no change are less likely to result in crises than events that require major adjustments

Pileup Effect

•Crises can result when several changes occur at the same time, or one after another

•Each event in itself is too small to produce a significant loss

•Each event may not affect all the family members

•Changes may be expected and occur slowly

•Small changes do not have the characteristics of crises-producing events

•The stress from each event continues to build, producing a PILEUP EFFECT

•End result is a crisis

Can you think of an example?

•Ex:

•The stress from poor grades on a test,

•An argument with a friend,

•Conflict with parents,

•And pressure from peers

How Crises Affect the Family

• An individual’s crisis can be a crisis for the family

• Every member in a family affects every other member
• When a member is unable to function,

the whole family can be negatively affected

Family System Becomes Unbalanced

•Family is functioning smoothly = balanced

•Each member carries out his/her roles

•Family works together to meet the needs of each member

•Family able to fulfill its function in each member’s life

•In a crisis, one or more changes disrupt balance

•Individual family members are unable to fulfill their functions

•Suddenly, family is not functioning smoothly as a unit

•Family needs time, resources, and support as it works to adjust to the changes and restore balance

The grieving process

•When family members experience loss, even though small, they go through a grieving process

•When they are able to identify and accept their feeling, they will be able to handle then and go on with their lives

•When loss occurs, family members pass through certain emotional stages:

•Denial - “Is this really happening… to me!”

•Anger – “Why is this happening to us?”

•Guilt - “What did we do to cause or deserve this?”

•Blame/Bargaining/Depression

•Acceptance - “This happened to our family and we are sad, but we can and will move on.”

Unhealthy Adjustment Patterns

•If the family does not adjust, unhealthy patterns may develop

•Feelings of anger, blame, and guilt will continue

•Members may feel depressed, stop eating, withdraw from others, or fail to show up at work

•They may abuse alcohol or other drugs to cover up their feelings

•They may lash out and abuse other family members

•Responding to crises with unhealthy behavior patterns may hinder the growth and development of family members and cause serious long-term results

•Developing skills for preventing a family crisis is important for all family members