How may an immediate crisis alter a person’s personality, behavior, and/or spirituality? How may this impact how a clinician approaches crisis mental health assessment? What treatment approaches are most effective in trauma-related disorders?

            A crisis can come in many different forms and can direct a person towards growth or lead to dissatisfaction, pain, or other negative coping methods.  A crisis is an event that throws a person off balance and is normally associated with some form of loss (Wright, 2011).  It disrupts the normal flow of their life and can affect how they perceive the world around them.  These perceptions can cause feelings of intense fear and worry that can lead to anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), acute stress disorder (ASD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  A crisis differs from trauma in the extent of the event.  Trauma refers to the response to an event that fragments a person’s safe world so that it is no longer safe (Kring & Johnson, 2016).  It is more than a crisis, it is a normal reaction to an abnormal event that creates a feeling of powerlessness and overwhelms a person’s ability to cope (Wright, 2011).

            When someone is exposed to a crisis or traumatic event, some will cling to God and and their spiritual beliefs.  This creates feelings of comfort and hope and provides strength for their time in need.  Others may become angry at God and blame Him for the event that caused their trauma.  They may become withdrawn, give up on spirituality, and doubt their own beliefs (Wright, 2011).

            Clinicians are faced with finding ways to treat trauma-related disorders.  Some medications are successful when treating trauma related disorders, particularly SSRIs, and they are most effective when combined with other forms of treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (Kring & Johnson, 2016).  I have taken part in Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) as a police officer when exposed to critical incidents.  CISD was once thought to be very effective, but recent studies have shown it to increase the likelihood of later developing PTSD (Kring & Johnson, 2016).  I am currently working with a mental health professional and we are using animal assisted therapy with a dog to conduct trauma focused groups with the prison inmate population we serve.  The dog is a certified therapy dog and is used in group therapy to provide comfort and emotional bonding that these men would not normally have in this environment.  Combined with CBT, the animal assisted therapy seems to be opening doors for these men to share events that they report they have never shared before.

If you or someone you know are suffering from addiction and you are ready to seek help, contact Coastal Wellness Counseling now for a free consultation.

Reference

Kring, A. M., & Johnson, S. L. (2016). Abnormal psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Wright, H. N. (2011). The complete guide to trauma and crisis counseling: What to do and say when it matters the most. Ventura, CA: Regal.

If you or someone you know are suffering from addiction and you are ready to seek help, contact Coastal Wellness Counseling now for a free consultation.