Crisis is defined as a state of emotional imbalance due to unexpected harmful events, and differs from stress in that it is a limited occurrence. Individuals in crisis often experience feelings of loss of control, emotional distress, and various psychological symptoms. The document outlines different types of crises, their phases, and the importance of addressing past traumas to effectively intervene and assist individuals in crisis.

1. CRISIS THEORYCRISIS THEORY
MAEPMAEP
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2. WHAT IS CRISIS?WHAT IS CRISIS?
• A state that exists when a person isA state that exists when a person is
thrown completely off balancethrown completely off balance
emotionally by an unexpected andemotionally by an unexpected and
potentially harmful event or difficultpotentially harmful event or difficult
development transition.development transition.
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3. STRESS AND CRISIS . . .STRESS AND CRISIS . . .
• The major difference between stressThe 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 orCrisis are not usually predictable or
expectedexpected
• This unexpectedness can intensify theThis 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 ofA person in crisis feels a loss of
control and power over him/herselfcontrol 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 asResults of a crisis are also known as
disequilibrium, disorientation, anddisequilibrium, disorientation, and
disruption.disruption.
• It is the intense emotional experienceIt is the intense emotional experience
of these states that creates theof these states that creates the
crisis.crisis. 44

5. WHAT IS CRISIS?WHAT IS CRISIS?
• Common feeling responses to crisisCommon feeling responses to crisis
include:include:
• apathy,apathy,
• depression,depression,
• guilt, andguilt, 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 areWhen we talk about crises, we are
referring to people’sreferring to people’s emotionalemotional
reactionsreactions to a situation,to a situation, not thenot the
situationsituation itself.itself.
• Therefore, crisis intervention helpersTherefore, crisis intervention helpers
work with awork with a person’s perceptions andperson’s perceptions and
judgments of the crisis,judgments of the crisis, not with thenot 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 lackThese crises can ensue from a lack
of information, such as notof information, such as not
knowing which job to take, whatknowing which job to take, what
type of medical referral to seek fortype of medical referral to seek for
a particular symptom, what one’sa particular symptom, what one’s
options are about livingoptions are about living
arrangements, whom to ask forarrangements, 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 careerThey may result from midlife career
changes, getting married,changes, getting married,
becoming a parent, divorce, thebecoming a parent, divorce, the
onset chronic or terminal illness, oronset 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, andUnexpected, uncontrolled, and
emotionally overwhelmingemotionally 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 / developmentalMaturational / developmental
crisiscrisis::
Reflects issues of dependency,Reflects issues of dependency,
value conflicts, and sexualvalue conflicts, and sexual
identity, or our capacity foridentity, or our capacity for
emotional intimacy, our responseemotional 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 awaydepression of college students away
from home for the first time, andfrom home for the first time, and
- Midlife crisis- Midlife crisis
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12. KINDS OF CRISESKINDS OF CRISES
• Psychopathological crises:Psychopathological crises: TheseThese
are emotional crises precipitated byare emotional crises precipitated by
pre-existing psychopathology.pre-existing psychopathology.
• Psychiatric emergencies:Psychiatric emergencies: One isOne is
rendered incompetent or unable torendered incompetent or unable to
maintain responsibility for oneself -maintain responsibility for oneself -
one is dangerous to oneself, toone is dangerous to oneself, to
others, or to both.others, or to both.
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13. 4 Phases of a Crisis4 Phases of a Crisis
ReactionReaction
(Caplan) :(Caplan) :
• Phase 1:Phase 1:
The initial phase, in which oneThe initial phase, in which one
experiences the beginning of tensionexperiences the beginning of tension
and attempts to use habitual kinds ofand attempts to use habitual kinds of
problem solving to restore one’sproblem solving to restore one’s
emotional equilibrium.emotional equilibrium.
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14. 4 Phases of a Crisis Reaction4 Phases of a Crisis Reaction
(Caplan) :(Caplan) :
• Phase 2:Phase 2:
This phase is characterized by anThis phase is characterized by an
increase in tension, leading to upsetincrease in tension, leading to upset
and ineffectual functioning when one’sand ineffectual functioning when one’s
habitual problem-solving strategieshabitual problem-solving strategies
fail; at this phase, one attempts trial-fail; at this phase, one attempts trial-
and-error strategies to resolve theand-error strategies to resolve the
problemproblem 1414

15. 4 Phases of a Crisis Reaction4 Phases of a Crisis Reaction
(Caplan) :(Caplan) :
• Phase 3:Phase 3:
This phase is characterized byThis phase is characterized by
increased tension, requiring additionalincreased tension, requiring additional
helping resources such as emergencyhelping resources such as emergency
and novel problem-solving strategies;and novel problem-solving strategies;
if one is successful at this phase, oneif one is successful at this phase, one
is able to redefine the problem andis 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 Reaction4 Phases of a Crisis Reaction
(Caplan) :(Caplan) :
• Phase 4:Phase 4:
This phase occurs when the problemThis phase occurs when the problem
has not been resolved in the previoushas not been resolved in the previous
phases and may result in majorphases and may result in major
personality disorganization andpersonality disorganization and
emotional breakdown.emotional breakdown.
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17. Crisis TheoryCrisis Theory
• Current Crisis Theory suggests thatCurrent Crisis Theory suggests that
unresolved bereavement fromunresolved bereavement from
earlier losses (of a person, aearlier losses (of a person, a
relationship, security, capacity, andrelationship, security, capacity, and
a dream) affects not only one’sa dream) affects not only one’s
later day-to-day functioning, butlater day-to-day functioning, but
also one’s reactions to subsequentalso one’s reactions to subsequent
crises.crises.
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18. Crisis TheoryCrisis Theory
• It is important for helpers to learnIt is important for helpers to learn
about the victim’s past experiencesabout the victim’s past experiences
with abuse and loss so that helpingwith abuse and loss so that helping
strategies can be planned thatstrategies 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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