Crisis

• Crisis – a crisis occurs when our normal coping mechanisms no longer work

• Developmental Crisis – those times when our life changes and the changes are developmental in origin

• Accidental Crisis – those time when our life changes and those changes are out of order or unexpected

• ___ Higher level of functioning

• Crisis /

• Higher level of functioning _______ /______Same level of functioning

• / \

• Crisis / \ _____Lower level of functioning

• /_____ Same level of functioning

• \ ____ Higher level of functioning

• \ Crisis /

• \ Lower level of functioning ________ /_____ _Same level of functioning

• \

• \ _____ Lower level of functioning

We move through life from one crisis to another, either developmentally or accidentally. We progress from crawling to walking, from being fed to feeding ourselves. We move from kindergarten to elementary to junior high to high school. We move from courtship to marriage to children to grandchildren. We move from one stage to another developmentally and we find that what we did in the prior stage does not work in our present stage. There in lies the crisis. Our response to our situation in each case is either to regress from the crisis to the more familiar and comfortable prior level of functioning, make no change and ignore the crisis continuing in our present level of functioning, or progress in the crisis to the higher level of functioning which initially will be very uncomfortable. We must choose either regression, stagnation or growth. This latter stage is called growth. When we are in the walking stage and we resort to crawling, that is a regression.

Crisis is a natural and productive aspect of relationship. In crisis we are made aware that something has been missed or overlooked. Something of importance to the one in crisis. When our style of communication does not accommodate assertiveness the next level of awareness is through crisis. A crisis occurs when our normal coping mechanisms no longer work. When our initial actions are no longer unchallenged, when our responses to challenges become ineffective, when what we have always done no longer works we are in crisis. Whether through developmental or accidental processes crisis tells us that there is a need for change.

Developmentally, a child moves from one crisis to another causing that child to change or grow. He, for simplicity, moves from crawling to walking to running, etc. As the child begins to walk he can literally walk under a table without challenge. The looming crisis is developmental. He is growing. He grows until when he walks toward the table he hits his head. What he has always done no longer works. In crisis we respond in one of three ways. Firstly, we return to a prior time or way of functioning that eliminates our encounter with the new set of circumstances. This is called regression. Secondly, we fail to regard the challenge as important or determine that it holds no consequences for us and we repeat our actions as before. This is called stagnation. Thirdly, we recognize that we have missed something significant within the sphere of our influence and it requires reassessing and a more global attention than we have been giving it. This third option is called growth. Growth is the higher level of functioning as illustrated above.

In the case of the young child, his response to the crisis could be to see danger in the crisis and regress to crawling which did not present the challenge of the edge of the table. Secondly, he could determine that since he has always walked under the table that all he needs to do is back up and walk faster. Or, thirdly, he could see in the crisis that his prior actions no longer bring the desired result. This crisis is an opportunity to expand his understanding and devise a method of accomplishing his prior goal in a manner that accommodates his new reality. He could grow.

What is notable about crisis is that when the crisis has been resolved in any one of the three methods stated above, it is only a matter of time before another crisis presents itself. Crises just keep on coming. The interesting point about that is that the handling of the next crisis is based on our resolution of the prior one. If we saw danger in the prior crisis and regressed or stagnated in response to it (if we chose option one or two) the next crisis will be seen as a danger to us and we will respond in fear. If we saw an opportunity in the prior crisis and met the challenge with openness (if we chose option three) the next crisis will be seen as an opportunity to us also and we will respond with openness and growth.

Ronald Pollard, M. Div.

Accidental crises are occurrences such as sickness, accidents, death of a child, the souring of a relationship, etc. The above formula applies here also.

The upside of crisis | Joseph Logan | TEDxBoulder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVtMYpOSNmA