Crises Portray Grown-ups
The word “crisis” comes from the Greek verb “krino”, which means “I judge and I choose”. This concept suggests a choice on our part, or a time when different perspectives and other opportunities are represented (Onnis, 1900). Thus, we can consider a crisis as a process of natural homeostasis between the person and his environment. Balance is achieved when we change the weights of our scales or readjust the structures. Consequently, the crisis offers the possibility for the person going through it to make changes which give rise to new forms of adaptation.
What differentiates the functionality of a person or family is not the absence of a seizure, but rather how the seizures were handled as well as the extent to which they contributed to personal / family development . There are events which, by reason of their nature or the time in which they occur, exceed the resources at our disposal and cause damage.
Throughout life, each person has to face a whole series of critical moments which can be classified in different ways. From the perspective of human evolutionary development, there are two types of crises:
- Normative crises: they are specific to the life cycle and expectations (marriage, finding work / housing, retirement, etc.)
- Non-normative crises: these are circumstantial, unforeseeable, accidental and unexpected crises, which are triggered by one or more events. Onset of sudden occurrence, seizures of this type require an immediate response.
They may or may not be predictable, but they all have one thing in common: the problem that gives rise to them has no solution. In terms of mental health, the results of all seizures are the same, but personal experiences vary from person to person.
We are not isolated people who experience personal crises locked in an impermeable bubble. The factors that determine the evolution of the latter fall into three groups:
- Severity of the events precipitating the crisis
- Family resources: flexible roles, socio-economic and functional characteristics, attentions, emotional support …
- Social supports: family, friends, community, or other important people can help minimize the impact of the crisis
There are different approaches that try to explain crises: the theory of vital events, cognitive theory, the theory of confrontation, the theory of reactivation of past situations, etc. Novack (1978, cited by Slaikeu, 1996) suggests that the likelihood of an event giving rise to a seizure depends on when it happens, its intensity, duration, and the degree to which it interferes with a person’s development.
Since time immemorial, human beings have always shown resilience after having lived through incessant wars, massive crises, disasters, violence … Crises leave a trace that is transmitted from generation to generation, but also in our mind and our emotions.
Why don’t all people who go through a critical situation experience it the same way? Why are some seriously affected and others not? One of the biggest mental health problems is chronicity or the serial repetition of critical events, in addition to the fact that the person relies on few resources to deal with them.
People going through a crisis receive a forced message. The message may or may not be consciously processed, and is projected as a blueprint into the person’s future life. Caplan tried to understand how the union between what happens to the subject in the first three days of the seizure and the description of the experience affects his cognitive functioning. Dyregrov suggests that the union of these elements explains people’s coping mechanisms.
The way in which we integrate the unfolding of these critical moments is ultimately projected into our future life. It is impossible to escape this feeling, but later, you can change it through new, more positive messages.
The way in which a person’s basic needs are met after they have gone through critical times prevents the construction of a generalized negative pattern. It is also important to find out what conclusion the person drew from their critical experience. On the other hand, to speak of crisis does not mean to speak of victimization; the victims of critical events had to deal with this event and continue to live. These are great survivors.
Our thoughts Faced with personal crises, we all have the choice: either to do nothing and suffer, or to decide to move forward at all costs on the difficult path …
