Psychological assistance in emotional crisis

In the face of emotional crises, it is necessary to intervene in the most effective way so as not to chronify the problem.

Although it is momentary and transient in nature, the emotional crisis usually leaves after-effects in its wake.It is therefore necessary to implement a plan of action to combat the discomfort caused by the traumatic event.

Therefore, it is important to know t It is necessary to know that any action focused on the treatment of emotional the treatment of any emotional crisis must meet three fundamental conditions: it must be carried out "in situ", it must be immediate and it must create confidence in the patient:

Intervention "in situ".

The emotional crisis must be treated where it has occurred. Only in very special cases will hospitalization be justified, but it should always be carried out on site.but it should always be carried out in a hospital close to the relatives of the affected person.

Immediacy

Every crisis should be dealt with as soon as it occurs. During the emotional crisis, the affected person is in great need of help and is more likely to and is more likely to receive any attention to achieve a change. Any crisis that is left to mature makes the intervention process more difficult, hindering the search for a positive solution. It is necessary to mention that a problem cannot be addressed three months later than when it occurred.

Building trust

The patient must be clear from the outset that the objective of the intervention is none other than to If the intervention for the treatment of crisis fulfills the previous criteria, the possibilities of success go up a lot. It is time to point out the objectives to be pursued in implementing the action plan; the most significant are these:

• Prevent the crisis episode from becoming chronic and, consequently, to prevent the need for more costly and traumatizing treatments.
• To restore emotional balance. It is intended to achieve, at least, the level of mental health prior to the emotional crisis. It is necessary to emphasize that what was not had (emotional balance) could not be lost, and consequently, cannot be recovered.
• Immediate relief of the anguish experienced through the verbalization of the patient's irrational feelings or attitudes. In this way, it is possible to neutralize the anguish generated and make change possible.
• Orienting the socially disadvantaged subject on the possible social and institutional resources to which he/she can turn and institutional resources to which he/she can turn if he/she is in a state of abandonment.

Models of care for crisis intervention

The human being is a bio-psycho-social entity, so his needs are inclined towards one of these areas and, therefore, the crisis originated may have its epicenter around the biological, psychological and social dimensions. around the biological, psychological or social dimension.. Therefore, it will always be necessary to define which area of the patient needs attention.

For example: in a suicide attempt due to pharmacological intoxication, it will first be necessary to know the Biological or somatic repercussions of the event presented (need or not of gastric lavage, etc.), then an analysis of the individual's psychological elements and/or schemes (emotions, motivations, etc.) and finally, the work or family influence that this suicidal behavior may have will be taken into account.

Thus, the emotional crisis can be treated from different perspectives or modelsThese can be summarized in a threefold approach: intervention directed at the conflict, at the person as a whole or at the system.

1. Conflict-oriented model

Suggests that the help provided should be immediate and fundamentally directed at the conflict itself; by this approach references to unconscious elements will be avoidedtaking into account only the "here and now" as well as possible ways of solving the "current problem" that has provoked the crisis: drug intoxication in a suicide attempt, abandonment of the home, sentimental breakup, etc.

2. Person-oriented model

In the intervention, priority will be given to the more cognitive aspects of the affected person: motivations, emotional repercussions of the event, links with the event, etc. In a crisis in which the biological dimension is predominant, the psychological and social impact that all somatic illnesses entail will not be overlooked.

3. System-oriented model (family or couple)

The family (or the couple) is then considered as a unit of health and disease at the same time and, therefore, is a fundamental element for the treatment of the affected person.

• Related article "Family therapy: types and forms of application".

Levels of psychological intervention

Regardless of the model of intervention being used with the patient (whether conflict-focused, whole-individual or system-focused) and the area (biological, psychological or social) in which action is being taken, it is possible to distinguish three different levels of help for emotional crisis:

First level of help.

This is practically the first moment of intervention; it corresponds to the "impact phase" of the crisis. Depending on the content and cause of the problem, priority will be given to the psychological, social or biological aspect.

This level is also called "first psychological help" or "emergency help".It is characterized as a brief intervention (from a few minutes to a few hours); the main objective is containment and also to provide support, reduce mortality (prevent suicide) and link the person in crisis with possible external help resources available.

The first level intervention can be carried out anywhere (patient's home, health center, shelter, street, hospital, etc.) and by any helping agent (parents, teachers, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc.).

This first level of assistance This stage begins when the emergency aid (first level of aid) ends. This intervention is not limited only to restoring the equilibrium lost due to the impact of the traumatic event. impact of the traumatic eventAt this level, the priority is to take advantage of the vulnerability of the subject's emotional structures, especially those accompanying the crisis, to help establish an emotional balance while creating other more functional psychological structures.

The duration of this intervention is several weeks (10-12 weeks approx.) and is carried out by specialists.

Third level of help

In general, the two previous levels of help are sufficient to ensure that the individual, using his or her own resources (psychological, social, etc.), can achieve psychological improvement. Sometimes, however, long-term treatment may be necessary, long-term treatment may be necessary (psychotherapy in conjunction with pharmacological treatment) to reinforce achievements and prevent possible relapses.