Chapter 14

Family Crises

Chapter Outline Coping with Crises Death in the Family Accidents, Injuries, and Catastrophic

Illness Family Violence Poverty and Unemployment The Military Family in Time of War Drug and Alcohol Abuse

What is a crisis?

A crisis is any event that upsets the smooth functioning of a person’s life.

Review: 8 Characteristics of Strong Families

1. Commitment

2. Appreciation

3. Good communication skills

4. Desire to spend time together

Review: 8 Characteristics of Strong Families

5. Strong value system6. Ability to deal with crises and stress in a

positive manner7. Resilience8. Self-efficacy

Coping with Crisis Depending on a family’s viewpoint and

resources, many different kinds of events are apt to become crises.

Crisis-provoking events are called stressor events.

Types of Stressor Events • Internal - Events that arise from

someone inside the family, such as alcoholism, suicide, or running for election.

• External - Events that arise outside the family, such as earthquakes, terrorism, the inflation rate, or cultural attitudes toward women and minorities.

Types of Stressor Events • Normative - Events that are expected

over the family life cycle, such as birth, launching a young adult, marriage, aging, or death.

• Nonnormative - Events that are unexpected, such as winning a lottery, getting a divorce, dying young or war.

Types of Stressor Events • Ambiguous - The facts are so unclear

that you’re not even sure that the crisis is happening to you and your family.

• Nonambiguous - Clear facts are available about the event: what is happening, when, how long, and to whom.

Types of Stressor Events • Volitional - Events that are wanted and

sought out, such as a freely chosen job change, a college entrance, or a wanted pregnancy.

• Nonvolitional - Events that just happen, such as being laid off or the sudden loss of someone loved.

Types of Stressor Events • Chronic - A situation that has long

duration, such as diabetes, chemical addiction, or racial discrimination.

• Cumulative - Events that pile up, one right after the other, so there is no resolution before the next one occurs.

Types of Stressor Events Acute - An event that lasts a short time

but is severe, such as breaking a limb, losing a job, or flunking a test.

Isolated - An event that occurs alone, at least with no other events apparent at that time. It can be pinpointed easily.

Stress Leads to Success?• Research has found that moderate stress,

especially during childhood, may be related to later achievement.

• In a study of 400 famous individuals from the twentieth century, it was found that 3/4 were troubled as children and that 1/4 faced physical disability or difficulty.

Responses to Stress General-adaptation Syndrome:

1. Alarm

2. Resistance

3. Recovery or exhaustion

Alarm Reaction• Physical and psychological changes are

experienced. • These changes are controlled by the

sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous systems.

• These two systems usually operate in opposition to each other; that is, if one system activates a response, the other counteracts the response.

Resistance

• During this stage, various physical

responses appear to return to normal,

because the body has built up resistance

to the stress.

Exhaustion or Recovery During this stage, exhaustion occurs if

the original symptoms return. The person often becomes physically ill.

On the other hand, if the stress has been reduced to a tolerable level, the symptoms do not come back and recovery ensues.

Autonomic Nervous System

Physical Signs of Stress

• Pounding of the heart; rapid heart rate

• Rapid, shallow breathing

• Dryness of the throat and mouth

• Raised body temperature

• Decreased sexual appetite or activity

• Feelings of weakness, light-headedness, dizziness, or faintness

Psychological Signs of Stress

• Irritability, tension, or depression

• Impulsive behavior and emotional instability

• Lowered self-esteem; thoughts related to failure

• Excessive worry; insecurity; concern about

other people’s opinions; self-deprecation

• Reduced ability to communicate with others

Steps in Crises Management

1. Describe the event in realistic terms and determine whether it is a crisis for you, your family, or your friend.

2. Examine your emotions and reactions to the crisis situation.

3. Seek support and help from friends and family.

4. Consider all possibilities and take decisive action to resolve the crisis.

Therapy• Therapy is a broad term used to describe

actions taken to cure or solve any problem. • Taking an aspirin is therapy for a headache. • Counseling from a hospice after the death of a

loved one is therapy. • Many groups and organizations help individuals

cope with crises in their lives.

Defending Against Harmful Stress

• Coping devices are ways of handling or dealing with stress, frustration, pain, fear, anxiety, and any other problems arising from stressful situations.

• Anxiety is a generalized fear, without a specific object or source.

Progressive Relaxation1. Assume a comfortable position, in a quiet

environment and with eyes closed. 2. Breathe deeply. 3. Relax each muscle in the body, starting with

the feet and working up to the neck and face.4. Maintain a quiet attitude, let thoughts come

and go, allow relaxation to proceed at its own pace.

5. Remain relaxed for 15 to 20 minutes.

Defense Mechanisms

• Defense mechanisms are the methods an individual uses to deny, excuse, change, or disguise behaviors that cause stress or anxiety.

• They are unconscious, unlike the coping strategies.

Positive Uses of Defense Mechanisms

1. Defense mechanisms can give time to adjust to a problem that might at first be overwhelming.

2. Defense mechanisms may lead to experimentation with new roles.

Commonly Used Defense Mechanisms

1. Repression is an unconscious blocking of whatever is causing stress and frustration.

2. Displacement is a straightforward substitution of a less-threatening behavior for another.

3. Rationalization involves finding an excuse for a behavior that is causing trouble.

Commonly Used Defense Mechanisms

4. Projection is a defense mechanism whereby one’s own characteristics or impulses are imposed upon others.

5. Sublimation involves converting a socially unacceptable impulse into a socially acceptable activity.

6. Compensation allows a person to make up for a shortcoming in one area by becoming successful in another area.

Scapegoating• Projection is the major psychological

mechanism used in scapegoating, whereby a person or group is blamed for the mistakes or crimes of another.

• Scapegoating may also be evident when a person or group is blamed for some misfortune that is due to another cause.

Ambiguous LossTwo kinds:

1. In the first, people are physically absent but psychologically present, because it is unclear whether they are dead or alive. • Missing soldiers and kidnapped persons

illustrate this type of loss.2. The second type is when a person is

physically present but psychologically absent, such as people with Alzheimer’s disease, addictions or who are in a coma.

Death Rate for Homicide (rate/100,000 pop)

1980 2002

All males 16.6 9.0

All females 4.4 2.8

White male 10.4 5.2

White female 3.2 2.1

Black male 69.4 35.4

Black female 13.2 7.1

Death Rate for Homicide (rate/100,000 pop)

1980 2002

Hispanic male 27.4 (1990) 11.8

Hispanic female 4.3 (1990) 2.8

Asian male 9.1 4.3

Asian female 3.1 1.7

American Indian male 23.3 10.7

American Indian female 4.6 3.0

Death Rate for Suicide (rate/100,000 pop)

1980 2002

All males 19.9 17.7

All females 5.7 4.0

White male 20.9 19.1

White female 6.1 4.3

Black male 11.4 10.0

Black female 2.4 1.8

Death Rate for Suicide (rate/100,000 pop)

1980 2002

Hispanic male 23.5 (1990) 20.2

Hispanic female 2.3 (1990) 1.7

Asian male 10.7 8.6

Asian female 5.5 2.8

American Indian male 19.3 16.0

American Indian female 4.7 3.8

Common Questions About Suicide

1. Why do young people want to die?

2. If suicidal persons want to live, then why would they try to kill themselves?

3. If a person’s mind is set on suicide, can anyone or anything change it?

4. Is it hard to face life after attempting suicide?

Common Questions About Suicide

5. Do people who talk about killing themselves just want attention? Is it best to just ignore their threats?

6. Are people who try to kill themselves emotionally ill?

7. What causes people to attempt suicide?

Common Questions About Suicide

8. How can you tell if someone is about to commit suicide?

9. What can you do to help if you suspect an oncoming suicide attempt?

10. What if you fail to prevent a suicide?

11. What if you sometimes feel like ending your own life?

Death Rates for Firearm-Related Injuries (rate/100,000 pop)

1980 2002

All persons 14.8 10.4

All males 25.9 18.1

All females 4.7 2.8

White male 22.1 15.9

White female 4.2 2.7

Black male 60.1 34.2

Black female 8.7 3.9

Death Rates for Firearm-Related Injuries (rate/100,000 pop)

1980 2002

Hispanic male 27.6 (1990) 13.6

Hispanic female 3.3 (1990) 1.8

American Indian male 24.0 13.1

American Indian female 5.8 2.9

Reactions to Death

1. Denial and isolation

2. Anger

3. Bargaining

4. Depression

5. Acceptance

Family Violence • Violence between Partners• Child Abuse • Sibling Abuse • Peer Abuse • Parental Abuse by Children

Elements of Child Abuse

1. The parent must be a person to whom physical punishment is acceptable.

2. The abusive parent often has unrealistic expectations for the child.

3. The parent perceives the child to be difficult and trying.

4. There is usually a crisis of some kind.

Factors Associated with Family Violence

1. The cycle of violence

2. Socioeconomic status

3. Stress

4. Social isolation

Factors Associated with Family Violence

5. Traditional male-role orientation

6. Low self-esteem, understanding,

patience, and tolerance

7. Alcohol and drug use

Americans in Poverty

Percent All People and Family Members below 100% of Poverty, 2002

All PeoplePeople in Families

All races 12.5% 10.8%

White 10.5 8.7

Black 24.4 23.1

Hispanic 22.5 21.5

Asian 11.8 9.8

Poverty Rates by Education and Race, 2000

Percent Child Poverty Rates

Race Metropolitan Rural

All Children 16% 19%

Black 32 42

Hispanic 19 24

Asian 14 14

American Indian

27 36

The Working Poor

• Working poor: Employed people

who live below the poverty threshold

Various Family Relationships in the Military

Advantages of Military Life• The entire military acts as a surrogate family. • The goals of the military are similar, thus

contributing to a high degree of camaraderie. • Housing or an allowance is provided, which

helps the families when moving from place to place.

• New assignments bring new friends and support from service families at the new posting.

Disadvantages of Military Life Frequent moves and loss of friends. Parental absences with deployment. Pressure to adjust and fit into the group. Lack of control over one’s future.

Disadvantages of Military Life Housing, although often provided, looks

like everyone else’s and close living makes privacy difficult.

Parenting difficulties when a parent is deployed.

Stress for the trailing party.

Drug Abuse

Drug abuse is the persistent and excessive use of any drug that

results in psychological or physical dependence, or that the society labels as dangerous or illegal.

Drug Abuse Defining the term drug is difficult. One

definition of a drug is any substance taken for medical purposes or for pleasure that affects bodily functions.

Continuum of Drug Action

Well-known Personalities Who Had Drug-Related Deaths

Rob Pilatus Chris Farley Michael Hutchence Sid Vicious Kurt Cobain Brian Jones River Phoenix John Belushi

Jim Morrison Brian Epstein Marilyn Monroe Janis Joplin Judy Garland Elvis Presley Jimi Hendrix Len Bias

Quick Quiz

1. When a person or group is blamed for the mistakes or crimes of another it is called

a) projection

b) displacement

c) scapegoating

d) repression

Answer: c• Scapegoating is when a person or group

is blamed for the mistakes or crimes of another.

2. Repression, projection and displacement are all

a) Coping methods

b) Defense Mechanisms

c) Relaxation Techniques

d) Stressor Events

Answer: b• Repression, projection and displacement

are common defense mechanisms.

3. Crisis provoking events are called

a) Stressor events

b) Family events

c) Crisis Management

d) Therapy

Answer: a• Crisis provoking events are also called

stressor events.