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RESPONDING TO A CRISIS

Responding to a crisis

• Instructor• Chaplain Lyle Prather Ph.D • Chaplain 1983 to present• Cowlitiz County Sheriff’s • Chaplaincy

WHAT IS A CRISIS?

A. Webster’s:“An unstable or crucial time or

state of affairs whose outcome will make a decisive difference for better or worse.”

THIS COULD EXPLAIN BETTER

• Video

B. Roberts and Corcoran (2000): “A person in a crisis state has

experienced a …threatening…or traumatic event, is in a vulnerable state, has failed to cope and lessen the stress or trauma through customary coping strategies, and thus enters into a state of disequilibrium.”

C. Chinese word for crisis:1. Opportunity

2. Danger

TWO TYPES OF CRISISA. Sudden loss: (i.e., fire, vehicle

accident, violent event, etc.)B. Gradual or transitional: (i.e.

lingering disease, cancer, etc.)

GENERAL PROFILE OF A CRISISA. Sense of Bewilderment (I never felt this way

before.)

B. Sense of Danger (I feel so nervous and scared—something terrible is going to happen.)

C. Sense of confusion (I can’t think clearly, my mind isn’t working right.)

D. Sense of Impasse (I feel stuck, nothing I do seems to help.)

E. Sense of Desperation (I’ve got to do something – don’t seem to know what though.)

F. Sense of Discomfort (I feel miserable, so restless and uncomfortable.)

G. Sense of Helplessness (I can’t manage this myself, I need help.)

H. Sense of Urgency (I need help now.)

I. Sense of Apathy (Nothing can help me. I’m in a hopeless situation.

PHASES OF A CRISISA. High anxiety or emotional shock phase

1. DefinitionThis phase may perhaps be God’s “anesthetizing” a normal response triggered by the body’s nervous system. Victims in this phase of the crisis reaction fall into two main groups:

a. Hysterical and very activeb. Stunned, inactive and depressed

2. Physical symptomsThe hysterical or active crisis victim may show or complain of one or more of these signs (similar to the signs of shock):

a. Empty feeling in the stomach

b. Intense, subjective pain or tension

c. Nausea, vomiting

d. Fainting

e. Lack of muscular control

f. Need for sighing

g. Agitation (such as wringing of the hands.)

h. Screaming or crying

i. Hyperactivity

j. Feeling of tightness in the throat (difficulty breathing, swallowing.)

k. Rapid speech

l. Rapid breathing

m. Flushed face

n. Dull eyes

o. Staring into space

p. Emotionally out of control

3. Psychological symptomsThe anxious crisis victim may display the

following psychological symptoms:a. General feeling of distress and

lossb. Guilt feelings (“If only I had…”)c. Hostile reactions that come from a need to assuage the feeling of guilt

d. The loss of patterns of conduct or reasone. A general feeling of helplessness

or taking on some of the traits/ behaviors of the deceased.

4. Suggestions for managing the high- anxiety victim of crisis:a. Remove the victim from the scene to a

less threatening, more secure environment

b. Reassure the victim that you are there to help

c. Talk to the victim

d. Touch the victim, if appropriatee. Direct the victim to specific, task-

oriented actions. For example, tell them to “Move,” “Sit Down,” “Hold this,” or answer your questions

B. Denial Phase1. Definition

Denial is a normal response to astressful situation in which the victim

can or will not acknowledge the existence of a crisis.

a. It is a protection mechanism, preventing too much from happening too fast.

b. Even very sick or seriously injured people tend to deny a crisis. For example, a heart attack victim may attribute pain to indigestion.

c. Another example: Parents of a drug abuser may deny to the

police their son’s involvement in crime because “He is such a good boy.”

2. Suggestions for managing the denying victim of crisis:

a. Allow the person to deny without agreeing with him/her.

b. Gently and carefully tell the facts

c. Repeat again and again, if necessary

d. Don’t make empty promises (“Everything is OK.”)

e. Show genuine compassion and understanding.

C. Anger Phase

1. Definition:

Anger, a normal response to frustration, is expressed when people feel they cannot cope with a situation and feel overwhelmed by it.

a. An angry person may blame him/herself, others, the deceased, or God (Possibly using blasphemous language.)

b. Guilt and anger sometimes cause family problems.

c. Crisis not only creates problems, but also reveals them.

2. Suggestions for managing the angry victim of a crisis:

a. Don’t take the anger personally. It is really not directed at you.

b. Allow the victim verbal expression.

c. Don’t argue. You cannot win against an emotion.

d. Show confidence. Tell the victim you realize he/she is angry, but

that you are there now and will do your best to help him/her.

e. Recognize that anger is normal, although unpleasant.

D. Remorse, grief and reconciliation phases

1. Definition:

This phase is filled with feelings and expression of guilt and sorrow. The victim often blames him or herself and may repeat “if only…”

a. Victims blame themselves for suicides.

b. Victims tend to idealize the deceased person and exaggerate their own bad points (“I should have…”)

c. Grief opens old wounds and memories.

2. Suggestions for managing the remorseful victim of crisis:

a. Listen carefully.b. Reassure the victim.c. Avoid judgmental statements.d. Allow the victim to express him/herself.e. Understand that it is not wrong to sorrow.

F. Your role in the grief process

Doctors tell us that there is a definite relationship between illness and grief badly managed. You can be a part of the answer to healing and not a part of the problem.

a. Understand and accept the response phases and learn how you can minister effectively to those who sorrow.

b. Help victims draw upon the divine resources that God provides, so that they might accept their situations maturely, creatively and emerge at the end of the valley better people than when they went into the valley.

c. Avoid preaching; it won’t eliminate hostility and guilt.

HOW TO ASSESS A CRISIS SITUATION

A. Assess the situation

1. Briefly size up the problem. What has happened?

2. Quickly determine who is involved. What was the cause? How serious is the problem?

3. Ask questions of on-scene personnel.

B. Make a plan

Next, make a preliminary plan of action based on the assessment of the situation. Even if the assessment is incomplete, you must do something.

C. Implement the Plan

Act!

Intervene!

The key to successful crisis management is A C T I O N! Whatever the plan, get itgoing. Gently and firmly ask, “May I…”

• Video

Re-assess the Plan

Once you’ve implemented the plan, check it out to see if it is working. If so, keep it going. If not, abandon it.

Recap

Frequently tell the victim of crisis what has happened, what is being done about it and what is probably going to happen next. You may have to repeat this over and over. Why? Victims of crisis have an extremely difficult time following all of the action going on around them.

ON-SCENE LOGISTICS

A. Report to the on-scene supervisor as soon as you get on site.

B. Stay outside the “yellow tape” unless invited in.

C. Do not take anything in, or take anything out of the crime scene.

D. Do not touch anything - keep your hand in your pockets.

E. Do not use the telephone.

F. If invited behind the “yellow tape” use the path marked for entrance and egress.

FOLLOW UP

FOLLOW UP

1. Follow up on primary victims2. Follow up on EM personnel3. Follow up on responders,Chaplains, volunteers, etc.4. Follow up on yourself