Coping With Crisis… Can Anything Help?

By Maureen Vernon, PhD

The CARE Practice

. http://www.thecarepractice.com/

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Coping With Crisis… Can Anything Help?

Turning on the news, picking up a paper, or opening up social media can change your mood for the rest of the day. Don’t isolate yourself from what’s going on in the world, however perhaps there should be a warning “This information may be dangerous to your Emotional Health.”

When a crisis happens, we try to find some way to understand and explain it. Tragedies bring out a myriad of emotions ranging from sadness, disbelief and compassion, to anger, regrets, rage and revenge. We identify with the loss, knowing that we, too, could be the next victims to have our lives forever changed. These types of events challenge us and bring out the best, and unfortunately at times, the worst in human behavior. In the days and weeks following a tragedy, many people continue to talk about it and try to make some sense out of the situation and get closure. The question “why?” is not easy for us to leave unanswered.

We often feel powerless not knowing what to do or say in order to be of help to others or ourselves. Unfortunately, some turn to alcohol, drugs, and other unhealthy and destructive outlets that only lead to further depression and distress. However, for many people just taking some action is better than doing nothing, in an attempt to exercise control over a paralyzing situation.

Psychological counseling canprovide insights and a deeper understanding of these scary emotional reactions. It will also offer coping tools, which empower you to make better decisions and choices when faced with challenging emotional situations. Although it is not always possible to change the situation, or the other person, we can learn to manage our feelings and develop more positive behavioral reactions.