Whatever your situation, finding a way to stabilize, feel safe, and be in control again is vital so you can begin to deal with what is happening in your life...

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What often makes people think of seeking counseling is that they are experiencing a crisis in their lives. This means that their usual way of managing things, or of coping with difficult emotions, events or circumstances, isn’t working for them. They may be struggling to cope, or feel that they and/or their lives are out of control and that they are no longer able to handle things.

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Common symptoms in this kind of stress-related or emotional crisis include anxiety, depression, emotional overwhelm or emotional outbursts, social withdrawal, physical aches and pains, and disturbances to sleep, appetite, digestion, memory, and general cognitive functioning. Life’s normal routine is disrupted and dysfunctional coping mechanisms, such as dissociation, alcohol and drug use, or other uncharacteristic behaviors, may come to the fore.

For some people, there may also be thoughts of self-harm or even suicide.

 

Crises may be precipitated by a traumatic event such as an accident, or physical or sexual assault. In the immediate aftermath of trauma, you may feel emotionally raw, confused, or angry, or perhaps numbing is keeping you from feeling anything very much at all.

 

Other life events can also be experienced as crises, such as relationship breakup, a medical diagnosis, loss of one’s job or home, or the loss of a loved one. Sometimes crises can develop just through the accumulation of stress over time and a diminution of one’s normal ability to cope, but there is usually an event of some kind that triggers the crisis reaction. People who are already sensitive due to pre-existing circumstances may be especially vulnerable to experiencing events and negative emotions as crises.

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