Emotional Crisis: Why Does It Occur And What Are Its Symptoms?
The word “crisis” is used in different senses. Firstly, it is necessary to mention that it comes from the Greek words krisis (decision) and krino (separate); Thus, it entails rupture but at the same time hope and opportunity. At the same time, in China, many people use the term “wei-ji”, a word composed of two ideograms: danger and opportunity.
Thus, it is possible to simplify that every crisis refers to a danger due to the suffering that comes with the loss of what has been lost or what is about to be lost; For its part, “occasion” (opportunity) refers to the means of restoring a new reality from the crisis experienced.
Below we will see what exactly it means experience an emotional crisis.
The crisis (whether political, religious or psychological) can be conceptualized in various ways, but there is a word that objectively condenses its meaning: imbalance; an imbalance that occurred between a before and after.
A crisis event always infers a contextual deviation in the one in which it takes place. It represents a threat of losing the achieved objectives (be they economic, social, religious, psychological, etc.) that is presented wrapped in anguish. A crisis episode takes place over time and that time is relatively brief (unlike stress), which is marked by a short-term beginning and end.
The triad that shapes every crisis is: imbalance, temporality and the internal ability to move forward or backward. The emotional crisis, therefore, always forces a decision to be made.
No crisis is neutral in nature. It always involves an advance or a setback; It never goes unnoticed by the affected subject, his family or society itself.
Every crisis has the same sequence: conflict, disorder and adaptation (or disadaptation as the case may be).
What originates it?
The generator of the crisis It is not the conflict itself, but the response of the subject to said eventuality. That is, the problem is not the problem but the response expressed to the event. Due to the above, it is totally natural and understandable that in the face of the same event one subject creates a crisis and another does not.
As a summary, it is possible to define the crisis as “a temporary ego disorganization with the probability of change.” That is to say, in a crisis situation the “unstable balance” that makes up the mental health of the individual is broken, but in a temporary and non-permanent manner.
But this imbalance is not fruitless, since it can further strengthen the individual giving rise to new forms of behavior or activating diverse mechanisms in addition to possibilities that until that moment have been unknown even to the affected person.
Thus, the crisis, in itself, is not negative, but everything will depend on the approach that the subject takes in any eventuality.
Phases of emotional crisis
From a synchronic perspective, the crisis can be a concentrated form of anxiety. This phenomenon can be easily broken down into three different elements: stupor, uncertainty and threat.
1. Stupor
Stupor is an element that is always present: it is identified by the fear and inhibition of the individual in the face of the emotions experienced, which are incomprehensible and paralyze them.
The subject in crisis He doesn’t react, he doesn’t look for a way out of his discomfort. All the energy of his being is used to soften the gap opened by the crisis itself; The above is done in an attempt to quickly recover emotional balance. In turn, the manifested imbalance is the origin of psychological disorganization.
Despite everything experienced, stupor provides protection to the person from total decompensation and cushions, in a certain way, the serious consequences of the crisis.
2. Uncertainty
The “uncertainty” andIt is the reflection of the amazement experienced by the subject and is translated as a struggle between opposing forces: choosing this way out or the other, choosing “this” or “that.” This dichotomous experience serves as an alarm in the face of a real danger or a latent fantasy.
The conjunction between stupor and uncertainty is defined as “confusional anxiety”, which is an experience in which mental chaos predominates for not knowing or understanding what is happening both inside and outside of himself.
3. Threat
The third element is the “threat”. Any imbalance presented implies fear of destruction. The “enemy” is outside oneself and defensive behaviors occur in the form of distrust or aggression. The crisis, at this point, represents a danger to the integrity of the person’s psyche.
Features and symptoms
From what has already been explained, it is possible to affirm that the crisis is not self-explanatory but rather requires the background of the past to be understood.
It is necessary to remember that every crisis has a before and after. A crisis episode involves facing something that changes suddenly and unexpectedly, and the ideal solution to such a situation is to find emotional balance or continue in confusion and psychic disorder.
The evolution of the crisis is normal when the “unstable equilibrium” is achieved in a prudent time, which cannot be determined or pigeonholed. The mere fact of asking for help to overcome the episode of discomfort is a way to facilitate emotional stability. However, it is possible to point out, as common characteristics of every crisis, the following:
