When the Unexpected Happens: Dealing with Crisis
Pamela Berry
| 2 min read
Any type of crisis — personal or otherwise — is disruptive and stressful by nature. Unexpected situations, particularly those that are unpleasant, can throw us off emotionally. You may feel shock, fear, helplessness, guilt, anger, disappointment or other disturbing feelings. Often, you’ll experience a combination of feelings.
When life throws you a curveball, allow yourself to talk about how you feel, be angry or grieve however you need to. Here are some other dos and don’ts for coping with crisis:
Do Don’t · Do still connect with people you care about. Skype, Facetime or call someone when you need extra support. · Don’t bottle up your feelings. · Do take a break from social media when you need it. · Don’t avoid thinking about what happened. · Do sleep, rest and do routine things when possible. · Don’t hide your distress.
Keep in mind that it’s okay if you need a little encouragement and support to express how you’re feeling and get back on track. If you’re not getting the support you need from family, friends or coworkers, consider that many people have behavioral health benefits through their health plan.
“We are all likely to experience some sort of trauma, hardship or crisis in our lifetime, either firsthand or by someone close to us” said Beth Santine, director of clinical services at New Directions, a company that provides behavioral health services to most Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan members. “While feeling a mix of emotions is totally normal, there are many benefits of talking to a behavioral health professional if you’re feeling overwhelmed — not only to help you cope with whatever challenges you’re facing at the time, but also to learn and practice resilience for the future.”
You may want to consider talking to your primary care doctor about getting a referral to a behavioral health specialist to help you move forward after a crisis or other life change. Or, if you’re a Blue Cross Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan member, you can use the Find a Doctor search feature on the homepage of bcbsm.com. Simply type in “behavioral health specialist” to find a list of psychologists, counselors and other behavioral health professionals in your area.
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Photo credit: valentinrussanov
