Recognizing a Psychological Emergency

to deprive them, of someone or something representing the fulfillment of their basic human needs. In other words, these people will not be experiencing a content, sound life-style with the basic human needs fulfilled. For these people, an important part of life is missing, such as a sense of identity and belonging to society, a sense of physical and psychological well-being, or a supportive network of family and friends. In dramatic encounters, people may be facing a period of impact or an unwelcome truth, a period of recoil where they isolate themselves, and a period of posttraumatic self-denial or remorse. Although these crisis states are not inevitable in every emergency, they are common occurrences whenever people are facing traumatic or devastating events. Recognizing a Psychological Emergency You may not always be able to immediately identify to recognize some common signs and characteristics of a psychological emergency, such as those listed in figure 2-9. A crisis may occur at any time. A crisis may erupt from any event, such as an environmental or material condition, a personal or physical event, an interpersonal or social situation, during any life cycle passage associated with the normal facets of human growth, and during life cycle transitions that signal a change in social status. The key to recognizing and understanding a psychological emergency resulting from a crisis is the term emotional. People have feelings about the things that happen to them in life. These feelings can incapacitate them. Most people prefer to be in charge of their own lives and hate to admit they a state of serious emotional upset, but you should be able cannot cope. SIGNS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL EMERGENCIES One or more of the characteristics may signify a psychological emergency. These characteristics may be accompanied by bodily signs and symptoms such as sleeplessness, loss of appetite, loss of sex drive, constipation, crying, tension, and irritability. ANGER Inappropriate anger directed at an inappropriate source usually brief but destructive. ANXIETY Not related to any specific person, place, or situation. BEHAVIORAL DEVIANCE Radical changes in life-style, values, relationships, and so forth. CONFUSION May be preoccupied with fears or imaginary attacks. DEPRESSION May range from crying to inability to function to threatened suicide. Often has feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, unworthiness, and guilt. FEAR May be afraid of a person or persons, activity, or place. LOSS OF CONTACT WITH REALITY Has trouble distinguishing or identifying smells, sounds, and sights in the real world from those in an imaginary world. MANIA Unrealistically optimistic, unwarranted risks, and poor judgment. WITHDRAWAL Loses interest in people or things that were previously considered important. Figure 2-9.—Signs and characteristics of psychological emergencies. 2-14