crisis intervention

The Need for Better Mental Health and Crisis Intervention in Corrections

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

By James M Katz, BA

 

Photo showing a gentleman holding a plate with a circle design with the words Crisis in Blue in the middle of the circle

Crisis intervention in the correctional system is an important and necessary component of providing effective support to individuals going through difficult times. With the current population of inmates coming from a wide variety of backgrounds, it is essential for correctional facilities to have a plan in place that can provide immediate help to those struggling with mental health issues. This post will provide an overview of how crisis intervention works, its importance in maintaining a secure and healthy environment for inmates, as well as the different types of interventions available.

In the modern criminal justice system, corrections officers are responsible for providing a safe and humane environment for inmates. This task can be particularly challenging when faced with individuals in crisis. Crisis intervention team involves using specific strategies to de-escalate a situation, rather than relying solely on physical force. It is important that corrections officers understand the principles of crisis intervention and have the skills to respond appropriately and effectively in any given situation. The field of corrections is highly complex and carries with it a wide range of challenges. With the introduction of crisis intervention practices, correctional facilities have been able to better equip their staff in responding to difficult situations. Crisis intervention training has emerged as an essential tool for managing inmates and disrupting violent behaviors before they escalate out of control. This article below examines how better mental health resources is not only reducing the costs of corrections but improving the lives of potential suspects even before incarceration.

“There’s no doubt that among the ways Cuyahoga County could reduce costs and crises at a crowded, inefficient County Jail sorely in need of expensive renovation or replacement is by reducing the jail population. That can be accomplished through bail reform and more efficient, fairer management of cases. But it also could be achieved by making sure that suspects in need of treatment for mental health or addiction are diverted for appropriate treatment first.

That’s what the Cuyahoga County Diversion Center that opened to great fanfare more than 1 1/2 years ago was for. The center on East 55th Street is operated by Oriana House in conjunction with the Alcohol, Drug & Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County.

“

More needs to be done to divert those in distress to treatment and not just straight to jail: editorial By Editorial Board, Cleveland.com Nov 27, 2022
Access Here 

Commentary:

What is Crisis intervention?

Crisis Intervention is a form of psychological support or counseling that helps individuals who are in the midst of a crisis. This type of therapy focuses on providing immediate and practical assistance to help individuals restore balance and cope with their current situation. Frequently a crisis intervention team will be deployed in situations such as national emergencies to assist in providing interventions.

The main goal of crisis intervention training is to reduce the level of distress experienced by an individual in order to prevent further psychological harm. A qualified mental health professional works with the individual to identify feelings and behaviors, assess needs, provide resources, develop strategies for coping and problem solving, and assist them in making positive changes. The therapist also provides emotional support and encourages healthy communication between family members or friends if needed.

Crisis intervention can be used for those experiencing any type of traumatic event such as natural disasters, physical or sexual abuse, bereavement or loss, illness or injury.

Benefits of Crisis Intervention Counseling

Crisis counseling is a type of therapy that helps individuals and families manage their responses to difficult life events. It typically takes the form of brief interventions aimed at helping those in crisis regain control, reduce stress, and develop coping strategies for more effective problem-solving. Crisis counselors are trained to identify the signs of an impending crisis, assess its severity, and provide immediate assistance.

The benefits of crisis intervention include improved communication skills, increased self-awareness, enhanced understanding of personal strengths and weaknesses, improved decision making skills in high-stress situations, better problem-solving abilities, increased emotional regulation skills such as anger management or impulse control strategies. In addition to these short term benefits, crisis counseling can also lead to long term positive changes such as decreased anxiety levels and stronger overall mental health.

Challenges of Crisis Intervention

Crisis intervention is an important part of mental health care, and it has its own unique set of challenges. It involves responding to a person who is in crisis – they may be feeling overwhelmed, confused, and out of control. Crisis intervention requires professional expertise to help the individual address their immediate needs and develop a plan for long-term recovery.

The goal of crisis intervention is to quickly assess the situation, identify any underlying causes or triggers, develop coping strategies and problem-solving skills, and ultimately provide support for an individual’s recovery. It can be emotionally challenging for both the counselor and the person in crisis as emotions are often running high. Therefore it is essential that counselors provide compassionate yet professional support during this difficult time. Additionally, counselors must take into account factors such as cultural background or language barriers when determining how best to approach a situation.

Strategies for Effective Crisis Intervention

Crisis intervention can be a difficult task, especially during times of intense emotional distress. Therefore, it is important to know the strategies for effective crisis intervention so that individuals in crisis can receive the help they need. Learning the fundamentals of crisis intervention helps create an environment where individuals are more likely to receive assistance and support.

One effective strategy for crisis intervention is active listening. Active listening involves responding thoughtfully and respectfully to what someone in a state of crisis is saying. It also requires giving them your full attention while they speak and avoiding distractions or passing judgment on their situation. Additionally, it’s important to remain present with them throughout their expression of emotions and feelings without attempting to provide solutions right away. This basic skill of active listening can go a long way towards helping someone who is facing a learning crisis feel heard, understood and accepted in order to begin healing from their experience.

Impact on Corrections System

Photo of the main watch tower at SAN FRANCISCO, USA - November 4: The Alcatraz Island Prison on October 4, 2014 in San Francisco, California. Alcatraz is one of the most infamous prisons in American history.

Crisis intervention has been a key asset to the corrections system in recent years. It has allowed inmates and corrections officers to learn how to better handle crisis situations within the prison environment, while also providing inmates with an outlet for their emotions. Crisis intervention can help inmates better manage their feelings and reactions when faced with difficult situations, instead of resorting to violence or aggression.

Studies have shown that those who receive crisis intervention training are more likely to be successful in navigating learning crises than those who do not receive the training. This is especially true for those who have experienced trauma in their lives prior to being incarcerated. Through crisis intervention training, these individuals can learn strategies for managing difficult emotions and developing constructive ways of responding in high-stakes situations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a crisis intervention team in the correctional system is an essential element of providing quality healthcare to incarcerated individuals. Crisis intervention has been proven to reduce recidivism, increase mental health stability, and improve overall wellbeing. Correctional systems can benefit from a comprehensive approach which includes both preventive and reactive strategies. It is important that the correctional staff and health professionals work together to ensure that all inmates have access to the resources they need during times of crisis.

Crisis Intervention not only has a huge impact on the criminal justice world but other areas of mental health care as well. If you are a licensed counselor, a mental health professional or perhaps work in a field that deals with crisis every day then maybe you would be interested in our Crisis Intervention Certification program? All of the crisis intervention courses are available online and are on open enrollment. For more information please visit our certification page.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_intervention

https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/correctional-system-introduction

Additional Resources: 

Barriers and Facilitators to Effective Mental Health Care in Correctional Settings. Olivia Kolodziejczak, Samuel Justin Sinclair. Journal of Correctional Health Care.  Jul 1, 2018
Access Here

Mental health screening tools in correctional institutions: a systematic review. Martin, M.S., Colman, I., Simpson, A.I. et al. . BMC Psychiatry 13, 275 (2013).
Access Here 

Improving Mental Health for Inmates. Heather Stringer /www.apa.org/ March 2019, Vol 50, No. 3
Access Here

Mental Health of Prisoners: Prevalence, Adverse Outcomes, and Interventions. Seena Fazel, et al. The Lancet Psychiatry, Volume 3, Issue 9, 2016, Pages 871-881, ISSN 2215-0366.
Access Here

Utilizing Crisis Intervention Teams in Prison to Improve Officer Knowledge, Stigmatizing Attitudes, and Perception of Response Options. Canada, K. E., Watson, A. C., & O’kelley, S. (2021). Criminal Justice and Behavior, 48(1), 10–31.
Access Here

Crisis Intervention in Acute Mental Crisis Situations

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Individuals enter into difficult situations throughout life.  Some cope better than others.  Others face such distraught, that mental crisis can occur.  Loss, disaster and tragedy whether at once or over a gradual period of time can wear on an individual.  While there are many normal reactions to loss and crisis, individuals sometimes still need guidance through their emotion.  Many can feel numb, or grief trodden after an event.  Others may feel completely shell shocked and need certain gestures, words of kindness and physical and mental aid.

Still, some enter into mental crisis and find themselves suicidal or a danger to themselves or others.  It is important not just a a counselor, but also as a good friend to be able to help others under severe duress or in mental crisis.  Knowing what to say, what to look out for and where to find additional help for them is key in potentially preventing further damage to the person.

Someone in mental crisis needs someone who can help them de-escalate the situation and find pre-crisis emotional state

 

The article, “8 ways you can help a loved one — or even save their life — during a mental health crisis” by Rebecca Strong looks at ways a concerned friend can help another through acute crisis mental states.  She lists in her article numerous things to say, look out for, and where to find the appropriate help.  She reiterates the importance of validating someone’s loss or fears during crisis and trying to help them leave the acute phase of mental crisis.  She states,

“It’s natural to feel worried or even frightened when someone you care about is going through a mental health crisis, but you can do a lot to help them.  A mental health crisis can happen in response to trauma or overwhelming stressors that make it difficult to navigate everyday life. Facing this level of intense distress may, in some cases, lead to thoughts of self-harm or suicide, though not everyone in crisis will have a plan to die.  One important first step toward offering compassionate support involves remembering your loved one didn’t choose to experience this distress. In short, a mental health crisis isn’t their fault.”

“8 ways you can help a loved one — or even save their life — during a mental health crisis”. Rebecca Strong.  Insider. October 14th, 2022.

Please click here to review the  full article.

Commentary

Helping individuals in crisis and acute mental trauma is important in saving a life or preventing further damage.  Many individuals are not rational or may even be suicidal.  This is not their normal frame of mind, so it is important to help them find pre-crisis cognitive thought.  Listening, guiding, and finding the necessary help are key elements to calming an individual to more rational thought.  Longer term mental crisis is also an issue. Lingering suicidal thoughts may creep in or the trauma may return and the individual may need someone to talk to in these dark moments.

Crisis intervention is a process whereby someone in a position of authority intervenes in a situation to prevent it from deteriorating further. It is typically used in cases where there is an imminent threat of harm to oneself or others, and the goal is to stabilize the situation and prevent further harm. Crisis intervention team members are trained to assess the situation and take appropriate action to de-escalate it.  The goal of crisis intervention is to help people stabilize their emotions and thoughts, and to develop a plan to cope with their challenges. Crisis intervention typically involves teaching people coping and problem-solving skills, and providing support and encouragement.

Many who are in crisis can contemplate suicide.  Suicide intervention refers to the process of intervening in someone’s life who may be suicidal. It is typically done by family, friends, or mental health professionals in order to prevent the person from harming themselves. The goal of intervention is to get the individual to safety and to connect them with resources that can help them in their time of need.  If someone you know is suicidal, the best thing you can do is to encourage them to seek professional help. You can also offer to support them in any way you can, but it’s important not to try to handle everything on your own. Let them know that you’re there for them and that they are not alone.

The process of assessing suicide threat generally includes four key steps: (1) identifying risk factors for suicide, (2) evaluating the severity of those risk factors, (3) making a determination as to whether the individual is in immediate danger of harming themselves, and (4) developing a plan to keep the individual safe. There are many different factors that can contribute to someone being at risk for suicide, so it is important to consider all of them when conducting an assessment.  Making a promise to call before anything drastic is underdone is an important promise to make with someone with a mental issue.

If issues point towards a deeper pathology, it is important to find the person professional help.  If the plan is real, the objects available and the mood depressive, calling the proper authorities is key.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important to remember that mental health crises can happen to anyone. If you or someone you know is in crisis, there are many resources available to help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones. You are not alone.  By increasing public awareness of the issue, providing support and resources for those affected, and destigmatizing mental illness, we can make progress in helping those in mental health crisis.

Please also review AIHCP’s various behavioral health certifications.  The programs are designed for healthcare professionals and offer four year certifications.  Among the various programs include Grief Counseling, Crisis Intervention, Stress Management and Anger Management.  The programs are online and independent study and open to qualified professionals.

 

Additional Resources

Suicide Prevention. CDC.  October 19th, 2022. Access here

What Is a Crisis Intervention?. Vertava Health. April 7th, 2022.  Access here

“Crisis Intervention Techniques for Mental Health”. Banyan Treatment Centers. Access here

“Crisis Intervention in Mental Health”.  Jim Collins.  March 19th, 2020.  Access here

What Is IOP in Mental Health?

Posted on by Joseph Gerard

Man lying on sofa talking to his therapist at therapy sessionWritten by Sam Darwin

IOP stands for Intensive Outpatient Program and patients with mental health issues are usually treated using this program. They go to treatment sessions like the in-patients, but the treatment is given during the day and not overnight.

The patients divide their time between home and the IOP center. These intensive outpatient programs aim to stabilize patients. They teach them techniques to manage their mental health conditions. Here’s what you need to know about IOP.

 

What Is Intensive Outpatient Treatment?

Intensive outpatient treatment is a form of mental health care. It provides the structure and support of therapy in a less restrictive setting than inpatient treatment. IOP aims to help you learn how to manage your symptoms and live more independently.

Intensive outpatient treatment consists of weekly or biweekly sessions. These are a combination of individual therapy and group therapy. Treatment is provided at a clinic or hospital, and patients attend for about four hours per day, five days a week. The length of the program varies, but it generally lasts between three months and one year.

IOP treatment focuses on helping you learn how to manage your mental health issues to live successfully in the community. Treatment often includes medication management and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

 

How Long Does Intensive Outpatient Treatment Last?

Depending on the patient, intensive outpatient treatment lasts anywhere from four to twelve months. The number of hours per week varies by treatment center but typically ranges from four to five hours a day.

In some cases, intensive outpatient treatment may be combined with partial hospitalization. This is for patients who need more intensive care than usual outpatient treatment can provide. How long you stay depends on several factors, including:

  • For how long have you experienced symptoms of mental illness?
  • Your support system at home (e.g., family members, friends)
  • Your financial situation
  • Your ability to follow through with treatment recommendation

Suppose you have been diagnosed with a mental illness and have difficulty managing your symptoms. Or you’re having difficulty functioning at home or in your workplace. In that case, you might enjoy intensive outpatient treatment. Participating in this program will likely improve your mood, energy, and productivity.

 

Who Needs Intensive Outpatient Treatment?

IOP can help people diagnosed with a mental health disorder, such as depression or bipolar disorder. It’s also used to treat those struggling with alcohol or drug addiction.

IOP is appropriate for people who:

  • Have had a recent mental health crisis and are at risk of harming themselves or others
  • Have been hospitalized in the past six months and need additional therapy to prevent future hospitalizations
  • Are unable to take medications as prescribed because they have side effects
  • They are having trouble managing their symptoms without medications. This includes people who have tried medications but stopped taking them for side effects or other reasons.

 

girl sitting on the bank of the river

How Can I Get Started In IOP?

Inpatient treatment programs can be an important part of your recovery. You will gain from inpatient treatment if you struggle with a mental health condition. The level of care and support you receive from an inpatient treatment program will depend on the type of program you choose. Many different levels of care are available (IOP and residential treatment programs).

To start the process, you’ll have to contact your insurance provider to find out which facilities they cover. Once you have that information, it’s time to start looking into the different types of programs available near where you live or work.

Some people prefer to go straight into a residential program. Others prefer an intensive outpatient program first. Either way, getting started is as easy as visiting theheightstreatment.com and setting up an appointment for an assessment.

 

How Does IOP Help People With Mental Illness?

Inpatient treatment is one of the most effective ways to treat a person who has a severe mental illness. Inpatient treatment takes place in a hospital or other residential treatment facility. Here, professionals can receive around-the-clock care.

People hospitalized for mental illness often need more intensive services than outpatient treatment. This includes medication management and therapy. IOP can help people who are struggling with mental illness for a variety of reasons:

  • They may need more support than what their primary care provider offers.
  • They may have already been hospitalized but still have some symptoms that need to be addressed before returning home.
  • They may be unable to participate in outpatient therapy due to other factors such as work or family responsibilities.

 

How Does Intensive Outpatient Treatment Work?

Intensive outpatient treatment allows you to receive the same level of care that you would get in a hospital setting. But, the treatment is delivered on an outpatient basis. You will not be admitted to an inpatient unit or need to stay overnight. Instead, intensive outpatient programs usually involve regular visits with a therapist and group therapy sessions.

Intensive outpatient treatment may include individual and family therapy sessions if needed. These programs are designed for people who can’t leave their jobs or families for long periods.

Group therapy often involves working with patients who have similar issues as yourself, such as anxiety or depression. A therapist might also recommend joining a support group after intensive outpatient treatment. This way, you have someone else to talk to about your experiences.

Individual therapy is often used as a supplement to group therapy. It helps patients address specific problems related to their mental health issues. For example, suppose someone has an anxiety disorder and is having trouble leaving home every day for work. In that case, individual therapy could help them learn strategies for dealing with this problem to continue working without feeling anxious all day long.

 

Woman in mental health treatmentHow Does IOP Differ From Traditional Outpatient Programs?

In-patient treatment is one of the most effective options for individuals with severe mental illnesses. These services provide intensive care under a team of qualified professionals. They provide immediate help and support to patients who need it most.

In-patient treatment programs are very different from outpatient programs. Traditional outpatient programs are designed for people who live locally. They can attend regularly scheduled appointments during the week.

These outpatient programs aim to help patients maintain their independence. They teach skills and provide support. This allows them to live safely in the community without requiring constant supervision.

In-patient programs, however, provide 24-hour care in a controlled environment with many therapeutic services available on-site or nearby. While patients are not required to stay overnight, they can still stay for several days or weeks, depending on their needs and recovery plan.

In-patient psychiatric treatment provides intensive care for individuals suffering from severe mental illnesses.

 

What Types of Therapy are Offered During Intensive Outpatient Treatment?

The type of therapy offered in an intensive outpatient program depends on the needs of the individual. In general, most intensive outpatient programs offer a combination of therapies, including:

  • Individual therapy. This can include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy, or supportive psychotherapy.
  • Group counseling. These groups are often led by a licensed mental health professional. They focus on recovery and addiction, stress management, or anger management.
  • Family therapy. Some clinics offer family therapy, including individual sessions with parents and their children. They also have group sessions for families who want to support each other through treatment.
  • Brief medication management (BMM). Suppose you have been prescribed medication for your mental health condition during an intensive outpatient program treatment. In that case, you may also be eligible for BMM sessions with a psychiatrist or medical doctor. This professional should specialize in treating mental health conditions with medications.

 

Importance of Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

IOPs aim to manage your symptoms, learn new skills, and improve your overall quality of life. Your psychiatrist and therapist will help you develop a treatment plan based on your needs and goals.

The benefits of IOP include:

  • A flexible schedule allows you to work, attend school, and take care of other responsibilities.
  • It helps you learn how to manage stress, handle problems in relationships, and cope with urges.
  • Providing a safe place to receive treatment while maintaining normal activities
  • You get a customized treatment plan based on your needs and goals
  • Short-term therapy can address specific issues in your life, such as depression, anxiety, or substance abuse.
  • The opportunity to learn new skills to cope with symptoms and develop healthy relationships with others
  • You’ll get support from other people trying to overcome similar problems.

 

Conclusion

It is vital to remember one of the essential aspects of mental health: you are not alone. It can be difficult to remember even someone with a history of depressive episodes. IOP programs or therapy groups may help offer reassurance even with a mental illness. There is contact with others, and there will always be contact with others.

And no matter what, you are never alone. When you need inpatient treatment for mental health, it is crucial to choose a facility based on the needs of your loved one. IOP has many benefits and can help progress and maintain recovery.

 

 

If you are interested in more information visit AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention Program here

Grief Counseling Program Blog on Trauma and Restoring Intimacy

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Sexuality and intimacy are crucial aspects of human life.  It allows two to bond and share the deepest feelings with a wholesome sexual experience.  An experience that is pure and filled with love as opposed as corrupt and full of hate.  During trauma, individuals can lose intimacy and a healthy understanding of love and sex.  This can create obstacles to fully reacclimating into society because one is not able to form a new bond or attachment with another human being.  The act of intimacy and the act of sex in themselves can also become triggers and reminders of past abuse and push the person away from these normal and healthy bonds.  Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Program

One who has experienced trauma must eventually face intimacy, trust and friendship and if desired, a more deeper friendship in the contract of a sexual relationship.  Unfortunately, trauma makes this difficult and can prevent the person from an important fountain of healing that can bring the person closer to becoming one again.  In this article, we will look at a few issues of intimacy and sexuality that someone who has faced trauma will deal with and how that someone can learn to trust and love again.  Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Courses

In intimacy, one opens oneself to another.  This can mean many things to a survivor of sexual trauma or betrayal.  One feels the loss of a control.  In isolation, one feels one has the power to control what occurs and the fear of opening oneself, puts oneself partly at the power of another.  It is exactly this power that a trauma survivor fears.  In addition, trauma survivors fear abandonment.  If one opens up, then one risks the chance of being hurt and betrayed again.  Hence many experience abandonment issues.   Intimacy also opens up the chance of rejection.  Trauma survivors fear the thought of being rejected for who they are and may very well reject someone before they can be rejected.

It is important with intimacy to accept fears.  This is the hardest part, but only until one dismisses the fears, can one again learn to have a trusting relationship.   The fear may be in the other person, or in one’s own tendencies but one cannot have the healing powers of intimacy without trust and letting fears go.  One also needs to reject ideas and notions that can block intimacy with others.  Many who have been traumatized universally label everyone.  All men/women are bad is a common over generalization.  The perpetrator was not good but not all people are bad.  This central concept can take time to finally become a reality again. Other false narratives include assuming no one has every experienced what one has experienced, or that one cannot ever burden another with one’s issues.  In addition, others feel unloved and if anyone ever knew what occurred, then that person would no longer be lovable.  Flaws are seen as more prominent and as a sign of weakness, when in reality everyone has flaws.

It can be difficult after trauma to again show intimacy and open oneself up. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Program

 

Learning how to discuss the past and discuss the future are critical communication skills.  Individuals who fear intimacy need to be better able to express to another and share how to handle issues and conflicts.  Without releasing the fear, false notions and opening up communication, then a person suffering from trauma will not be able to open again and find the value and healing within a friendship or a deeper relationship.

One of the biggest blocks to a deeper relationship is again seeing sexuality as wholesome and natural.  Sex in its very nature promotes union, trust, and love but the trauma has distorted the true value of intimacy and sexuality.  Following an assault, sex itself can become a trigger to a PSTD response.  A certain touch can remind one of the trauma and turn something of love into something of abuse.  The person has a hard time viewing sex as holy and the person as sacred.  The rape or assault has stripped sexuality and intimacy of its dignity and the person has difficult times again experiencing these feelings and senses in a positive way.

Sex can also be seen as a way to control others, or it may be a device to fix what went wrong before.  Unhealthy expressions and sexual behavior can result in different directions from fear of sex to promiscuity later in life.  It is hence important to remove these past negative images.  One image that is especially unhealthy is seeing all sexual behavior and correlating it with a sense of disgust.  It is important to learn skills to neutralize this feeling of disgust and help re-evaluate these past negative experiences with positive experiences.

In rebuilding oneself for intimacy and sexual relations, the traumatized need to overcome many hurdles of trust and intimacy but certain steps can help to start the healing process.  Disgust and association with trauma can be overcame with patience and time and understanding from one’s new partner.

It is hence important to again see certain parts of the body as holy and good.  They cannot be seen or associated as evil in themselves.  The action must be separated from the part of the body itself.  Second, one needs to learn neutralize disgust.  Ideas that the body is an object to be used must be dismissed and replaced with ideals that the body is a temple and a gift.  This not only deals with the other person, but also how one views oneself.  One can further separate the feeling of disgust with sex itself and shame.   The shame with trauma needs to be separated from the act itself.  By learning to separate negative feelings and events from the body and act itself, one can better open up to others.  One can then create a new narrative where the event with a different person is not hateful or abusive but instead filled with love and respect.

Unfortunately, while rebuilding each other, partners should be conscious of others past.  Certain boundaries may initially needed and a slow crawl until mutual comfort is met.  Flashbacks can occur and it is important to recreate intimacy and the sexual experience together to form new wholesome memories.  This requires patience, counseling as well as awareness.

Healthy sexuality is the ultimate key.  While intimacy does not necessarily involve sexuality, nor the necessity of entering into a sexual relationship, one must still restore a sense of the sacred to the sexual act.  Sex is not about control, secretive, shameful, wrong, abusive, dis-connective, controlling, superficial, or selfish but instead is a spiritual, emotional and physical act that binds.  It builds self esteem and gives proper pleasures associated with that.  It is celebrated and gives deeper meaning to life.  It does not abuse, but promotes a feeling of unity and safety.  It honors and loves and builds two instead of breaking down another. Finally, it does not reject, but it also accepts the imperfect and celebrates the two.

For some, sex is more than naturally just beautiful but also sacred from a religious view.  Sex in this regard binds two as one before God and calls forward a vocation that goes beyond the symbolic act of sex, but carries itself in all matters of life itself.  Spiritually, the destruction of sex to anything less is not of God and is a misuse of this divine gift to not only bring forth new life but also unify two into one.

Restoring intimacy with a victim of abuse can take time and patience but it can again reveal the goodness of intimacy and love

 

One can restore intimacy, and if desired, a healthy sexuality after assault, but naturally, the traumatized must learn to reprogram one’s mind to not only not fear but to open up and let go past narratives that prevent the leap of love and faith.  The traumatized must also learn differentiate the corruption of the perpetrator from the holiness and goodness of the action itself and how it can be experienced with a good person.

It is a most disgusting sin to harm another through sex because it injures the person not only physically but also emotionally.  It affects one’s ability to feel intimacy again and feel trust.  It is more than a theft of virginity or physical freedom, but is a theft of self, but fortunately, through healing, counseling and prayer, one can again heal.

Please also review AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention Certification, Stress Management Consulting Program as well as AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification Program.  The programs are online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in these disciplines.

 

 

Source: “The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook: A Guide to Healing, Recovery and Growth” by Glenn R Schiraldi, PhD

PTSD from the Mayo Clinic

PTSD from the National Institute of Mental Health

When PTSD and Intimacy Collide: What Really Happens? By Tia Hollowood

Understanding Intimacy Avoidance in PTSD by Annie Tanasugarn Ph.D., CCTSA

Stress Management Certification Blog on Guilt and Trauma

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Guilt is a necessary emotion.  When anchored with a good conscience, it provokes truth and justice when wrong is committed.  It prevents future wrong doing in some cases and helps guide the person to proper moral outcome.   It is hence sometimes good to feel guilt.  If one lacks guilt in appropriate circumstances, it is a sign of a deeper and more sinister moral flaw.   Sociopaths are incapable of guilt and can commit the most grievous offenses without any sense of emotional wrong doing.

Victims can carry disproportionate grief. Please also review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Certification

 

For the more tender hearted and as well as those who experience trauma, guilt can sometimes become excessive and over play its reach.  It can become a pathological agent that prevents proper healing.  When guilt is not properly processed and understood according to reality, it can then continue to haunt a person and prevent emotional healing.   Guilt must be processed.  If due to trauma it becomes part of dissociative material, then it can linger.  It needs to find resolution, where appropriate sorrow is displayed and a chance for change and growth occur.  When guilt is stunted, either not accepted or over felt, then it can keep a person stuck in the past.

With trauma, guilt is usually not proportionate and a variety of distortions exist.  These distortions continue to exist when individuals keep trauma to themselves and do not face it.  This is why dialogue is so critical to healing.  It allows the wound to bleed and also the opportunity to discuss falsehoods regarding the traumatic event hence allowing integration of the memory.

Most distortions create an imbalance of guilt.  Either the person blames oneself 100 percent or finds no blame at all.  Associated with this are usually feelings that one does not deserve to live or survivor guilt.  In addition, many individuals feel the guilt is critical to show they still care and that they must punish themselves and repeat the pain.  Multiple reasons incur this guilt.  Many believe they are guilty because they were afraid, or found relief.  Others find guilt in having to kill, making a mistake, finding enjoyment in the event, wanting to die, or expressing extreme hatred.  Others find guilt in their actions in not being able to save others, not taking precautions, freezing under pressure, not stopping the abuse, or not saying “I love you” one last time.

Many things can haunt a person who experienced trauma.  Depending on the trauma and event, they can differ, but they all carry a haunting voice that judges what one felt, did not feel, did, or did not do.  Distortions to the event can amplify the sorrow the person experiences.

Dialogue is obvious the first step in unlocking guilt.  Various cognitive therapies look to identify guilt and then properly ascertain legitimacy of it.  This involves discussing with a therapist the event itself and verbalizing the details.  The patient then must attribute the level of what they think was their fault in a numerical percentage.  Following this, the therapist challenges the events and asks probing questions of who else may be at fault.   The guilt is then re-assessed and a recalculation occurs in which proportionate percentages of guilt are discovered to be less.  This process can be repeated weekly to illustrate to the victim and patient that the guilt attributed is far from fair.

Also, the therapist can help the victim distinguish between the emotion of concern versus guilt, as well as shame and guilt.  Many equate these emotions with guilt.  The sexual victim may equate shame with guilt.  In doing so, one can then start to attack the various distortions of guilt.

It is also important to help the patient understand their decision under pressure.  Normal decision making under peaceful situations are quite different than decisions under duress.  Fight or flight mechanisms can erupt and many lose rationality.  So it is good to point out that one does not think the same way under trauma as if not.  A therapist can also help the patient look at the choices that were available, the time constraints, all the information at the time and the intent of the outcome.

Another important way to help one see the past is to have the person play the role of two.  As if an advisor or friend, to respond to one’s own criticism.  By separating oneself from the event, and counseling one as if a friend, one can then begin to see the overall picture.  So many therapists recommend patients play a two role therapy of talking and then responding as two different individuals.

It is important to properly process guilt in trauma. Please also review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Program

 

In addition, various rituals can help.  Spiritual visualization of healing, as well as finding forgiveness through a higher power.

Through this, one is better able to properly rank their guilt and true proportionate role in the traumatic event.  The person can then understand the situation, move on from it and process it.  Through this, the victim can be better prepared for the future and understand the role he or she played.

Of course, various therapies help individuals with PTSD and trauma better recollect the situation and process any negative emotions.  EFT, Rewind Techniques, TIR and EMOR are all way therapists can better help an individual relate to the emotions and events of a particular trauma.  They can also help the person cognitively restructure the event appropriately to reality.  Removing inappropriate guilt is obviously an important step.

Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Program, as well as Stress Management Program and Crisis Intervention Program.  All programs are helpful in teaching professionals to guide others through trauma.   The programs are online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification.

 

Sources:

“The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook: A Guide to Healing, Recovery and Growth” by Glenn Schiraldi, PhD

 

Stress Management Consulting Program Blog on Cognitive Restructuring and the 13 Distortions with PTSD

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome or PTSD is the inability of the human mind to process traumatic memory.  It remains fragmented and left to haunt the person through various triggers and arousals that return to the person to the original trauma.  Emotions remain raw and the individual is trapped in the past and it repeats itself.

The first step to recovery is to confront the trauma and begin the long and sometimes painful process of properly storing the memory and integrating it, good and bad, into one’s life narrative.  The process to dismiss the past, face it and integrate it can be difficult.  The trauma is very difficult to face but for those who take the initial steps to confront and learn new coping methods to deal with PTSD can reap the rewards of a return to one’s very own existence and life.  Many are unable to reach this due to PTSD.

Trying to recover from PTSD can be delayed over distortions about the event. Licensed counselors through Cognitive Restructuring can help individuals find the truth to move forward. Please also review AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention Program

 

Treatment is key.  Professional counselors can help individuals through a series of treatments.  One type of treatment is Cognitive Restructuring.  Cognitive Restructuring helps the individual integrate dissociated memories with associated ones in the long term memory.  Part of the process is to remove unproductive ideas and ideals that limit the mind to restructure and keep arousal high.   Functional thoughts can help remove higher arousal, while dysfunctional thoughts prevent the individual from healthy integration.  It is not the activation to think about the trauma that causes the consequence of arousal but more the dysfunctional thinking that causes more arousal.

Automatic thoughts that enter into oneself about the event can be good or distorted.  There are 13 types of distortions to thought that can make overcoming PTSD very difficult.  These distortions need corrected so that the brain can properly integrate the traumatic event.  This blog will review the 13 types of distortions.

  1. Flaw Fixation.  This distortion forces the individual to only focus on the bad.  It is a camera lens that only sees one aspect of the full event.  It is a narrowing of all the facts of the story.  The individual only recalls the failures of the particular day, or only in the present sees bad in everything.
  2. Dismissing the Positive.  Very similar to the Flaw Fixation but this does not focus on flaws of the individual but any positivity in life itself.  Only negative is viewed in day to day life and if the event was during a particular period of time, all the other good things of that time period are dismissed based on the one bad event.
  3. Assuming.  Individuals assume certain things about an event.  In Mind Reading, they assume others think negative about them and how the individual acted or what the individual experienced.  Also within arousal, Jumping to Conclusions is common.  The individual assumes any trigger is an actual threat.  Finally, Fortune Telling, predicts negative outcomes only with any future events.  Everything is predicted in a negative light in lieu of the past traumatic event.
  4. Catastrophizing.  Individuals make any events based off the past trauma to be worst than they what they truly are.
  5. All or None.  In this, the individual rates himself only as good or bad.  Furthermore, other people are seen only as good or bad.  There is no gradation or grey area in this type of reframing
  6. Shoulds.  In this, the individual relives what he or she should have done or did not do.  This does not take into account the objective reality of what occurred and places everything on the individual.
  7. Making Feelings a Fact.  Feelings are important to listen to but sometimes they can distort and make things appear different than reality.
  8. Over Generalization.  Individuals assume everything is bad or “ALL” people are out to get them.  It comes from a lack of security but closes individuals to healing.
  9. Abusive Labeling.  The individual sees oneself as damaged.  The person does not differentiate the evil and bad between the action committed and oneself.
  10. Personalizing.  The individual asserts to much blame for the traumatic event that the person is guilty of or not guilty at all
  11. Blaming.  The individual blames the event for destroying one’s life more than the event did.  It is the opposite extreme of personalizing.
  12. Unfavorable Comparisons.  When one compares to how others would react instead of oneself.   This can lead to anxiety and regret.  Instead of focusing on the event and how one dealt with it.
  13. Regrets.  This is similar to “shoulds”.  Instead one looks at all the circumstances and holds one guilty to the event instead of healing from it

 

These type of distortions can create a mixture of emotional reactions that prevent the person from seeing the trauma correctly.  One either sees the event incorrectly, others, or oneself.  This does not allow one properly process it with the truth of the matter and hence integrate it into one’s life.  It is important to understand an event and process it.    Distortions prevent this hence in counseling and reframing of the event, it is important to discuss these issues and identify a patient who may possess a distortion.  Of course the only way to know if a distortion exists is for the individual to open up about the event and confront it.

Confronting and properly processing trauma is critical with PTSD. Please also review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Program

 

If you would like to learn more about AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Program or AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention Program, then please review the programs and see if they meet your academic and professional goals.  The programs are online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in these two disciplines.  After completing the courses, one can then apply for a four year certification in Stress Management or Crisis Intervention.

 

Source: The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook: A Guide to Healing, Recovery and Growth by Glenn R. Schiraldi, PhD

Stress Management Consulting Certification Blog on PTSD

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is a severe reaction to a stressor so intense that it imprints upon the mind and brain its terrifying nature.  The long lasting effects can result in intense anxiety as well as for some dissociation disorder.  The effects can last months after or continue to haunt the person throughout life.   In previous eras, it was referred to as Shell Shock as experienced by WWI soldiers but while many soldiers experience PTSD, it can happen to any group of person.

Traumas can be related to war but also to any type of traumatic event than can happen in civilian life as well.  Among the type of traumas imposed upon the person include intentional traumas caused by other humans which are the hardest to overcome, as well as human caused accidents and acts of nature, which are usually easier to recover.  It is more difficult to overcome intentional acts of humans because these acts of trauma are most associated with evil itself.   War, abuse, rape, incest, torture, criminal assault, hostage, bombings, terrorism, suicide, kidnapping, riots, participating in violence, and death threats are a few examples of these severe types of trauma.

Human caused traumas not associated with evil intent still can cause trauma but they are not as mentally crushing to the individual.  These types of traumas include industrial accidents, fires, explosions, motor vehicle or plane crashes, nuclear disasters or collapses of buildings.   Less traumatic but still impactful or acts of nature, which include any type of storm or geological event, or sudden deaths not associated with evil intent.

Trauma so severe can cause anxiety and dissociation. Please also review AIHCP’s Stress Management Program

 

Many individuals suffer greatly in this world and the above stressors and trauma inducing events are well above one’s average bad day but are life altering events in many cases.  This can cause severe trauma and not allow the mind to properly process the event.  The exposure to this stressor leads to an intense fear or horror to the event itself.   In assessing PTSD, the events must be re-experienced via intrusive recollections, dreams, and hallucinations that can be activated due to similar cues.   The individual in turn will attempt to avoid numerous things to escape these intrusive reminders.   The individual will try to block thoughts, feelings, places,  and activities to avoid it.  They will disassociate in events and people and try to detach themselves.

In essence, the PTSD interrupts life in all aspects.  Individuals will have trouble sleeping, become irritable easily, not be able to concentrate, become hypervigilant, and have exaggerated responses to some stimuli.  This type of behavior can last acutely for one month, chronically for six months or more and can even be delayed, well after the event and re-emerge months later.

Those who suffer from PTSD face two major symptoms, high levels of anxiety and dissociation.

Severe anxiety leaves the person in constant distress even if the stressor is no longer present.  It can manifest physically upon the person through fatigue, tension, nausea, digestive track inflammation, hyperventilation, suffocating feelings, and a wide array of panic attacks.  Emotionally it can cause irritation, fear, exaggeration of emotions and loss of confidence.  Mentally, anxiety can cause confusion, lack of concentration, poor memory and inability to make decisions.  Spiritually, one may encounter hopelessness and despair.  Many look to avoid stressors that naturally cause these feelings and the person will become more reclusive.

In regards to dissociation, most healthy individuals possess an associated consciousness that engages in life, but when a trauma so terrible occurs, the mind does not process the terrible event in long term memory and it is trapped in short term memory.  Without proper processing, the trauma continues to haunt the person.  It is hence natural, during a horrible event to dissociate from it.  When something is so horrible to comprehend, the body for its own protection will tune out.  Unfortunately, the unprocessed and walled off trauma is highly unstable and very accessible.  It is also very emotional and non verbal and hence impressionable via our senses.  The trauma is very fragmented and associated with multiple triggers due to this.  The senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, pressure and pain can all awaken these fragmented traumas and cause recollections.  The trauma can also be re-awakened by significant dates or seasons or events, as well as tied to strong emotions, thoughts and behaviors.   Sometimes the arousal is due to a combination of senses.

Dissociation looks to defend the individual from the horrific nature of the event itself.  During a horrible event, the person may depersonalize from the event itself, as if separating from oneself and watching.  Another form of this is derealization where the person real believe the event was not real but a dream.  Some individuals actually lose parts of the memory itself.  Amnesia and forgetting the event looks to help the person forget the horrific nature of it all together, while some may enter into a fugue where an individual has no memory whatsoever of how one got from one place to another during the episode.

The worst type of trauma is the type caused intentionally by other people. Please also review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Program

 

The most severe form of dissociation is Dissociative Identity Disorder when a person actually creates multiple identities to deal with the trauma itself.  Also known as Multiple Personality Disorder, one creates other personalities with stronger characteristics to protect the host from the trauma itself.

Associated with dissociation and anxiety are a variety of associated features that can become attached to PTSD.  Many individuals who suffer from PTSD also exhibit a variety of these features in their behavior.

When severe trauma occurs, many have a death imprint that forever changes their outlook on life.   This leads to repeating within the mind how they wish they behaved or acted.  In this, they may feel extreme shame or guilt, or survivor guilt.  Others will develop a severe anxiety with any topic of death itself.   With severe trauma, others may also experience shattered world views.  One may doubt his or her faith or question how one exists.  Such an existential crisis is very common.

There are also a variety of mood disturbances that one may encounter fights with depression and also addiction. Impulsive behaviors can also occur  where individuals try to make sudden changes to escape the pain as well as over compensations in other roads of life.   Some will also try to relive their trauma and re-enact them in contrast to others The mind also can negatively affect the body and there are a multitude of physical ailments that occur from chronic pains to fatigue and exhaustion.

To escape the mental pain, many will turn to other forms of pleasure.  In addition to addiction, some become overtly sexual to find value, while others may turn to self mutilation.   These cries for help are attempts to express pain that cannot be visualized or seen.   In other cases, this type of behavior looks to cover mental pain with physical pain.

Ironically, it can paradoxically relieve pain and help individuals become addicted to self harm.  Others remark it helps them feel alive or makes them feel empowered and in control.  Others reiterate it can be used to make themselves less attractive to prevent further abuse or imitate what was seen or experienced.

Unfortunately, without guidance and help, these symptoms and unhealthy coping mechanisms will continue with individuals with PTSD unless helped.  They need to face the trauma and understand it.  Guidance is required to help process the horrible memory to the long term processing centers of the brain.

If you would like to learn more about AIHCP’s Stress Management Certification, then please review and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Stress Management.  AIHCP also offers programs in Crisis Intervention as well.  Remember, that even if certified, one still need to be a licensed professional in the mental health fields to work with individuals suffering from PTSD.

Related Text

The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook: A Guide to Healing, Recovery and Growth by Glenn R Schiraldi, Ph.D

 

 

Crisis Intervention Counseling AIHCP Video

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Helping individuals in extreme numbing trauma and restoring them to a pre crisis state of mind is important.  Individuals who suffer catastrophic loss can find themselves in a dark chaos.  In other areas, those who are in suicidal ideation may need crisis intervention to help them find hope.  Crisis Intervention is key in helping individuals overcome extreme despair.  Crisis Intervention Counselors work as licensed counselors or also in crisis centers, or even as first responders.

Please review AIHCP’s video on Crisis Intervention Counseling

Crisis Intervention Specialist Program Article on Mindfulness-Based Crisis Intervention

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Mindfulness interventions for patients who deal with mental issues or trauma can help individuals and their overall outcome and mental healing.  Mindfulness Crisis Intervention help individuals find healing but also reduce the risks and costs associated with re admissions for healthcare facilities.  It is important to continue to improve on mental health for everyone.  Mindfulness, meditation and various professional interventions can help mental crisis.

The article, “Mindfulness Interventions May Improve Psychosis Outcomes” by Jessica Janze looks closer at how interventions can help individuals overcome mental crisis and reduce  re admissions.  She states,

“A new study, published in BMC Psychiatry, examines the feasibility and acceptability of a Mindfulness-Based Crisis Intervention (MBCI) for patients experiencing psychosis in the inpatient setting. Results of the parallel-group, randomized control trial (RCT), led by Pamela Jacobson from King’s College London, suggest that mindfulness-based interventions delivered during inpatient hospitalizations may reduce short-term readmissions, a key indicator of quality in mental health care.”

These studies show the usefulness of Mindful-Based Crisis Intervention.  To read the entire article, please click here

Mindfulness Crisis Intervention can help individuals overcome mental crisis. Please also review our Crisis Intervention Specialist Program

 

Please also review our Crisis Intervention Specialist Certification Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.

 

Crisis Intervention Program Article on Keeping Children out of Fostercare

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Crisis in families is a major issue in America.  Whether through abuse or drugs, averting crisis levels that require counseling and guidance is the most ideal.  How to identify pre crisis situations for children is the key.

Better social venues to deal with abuse and addiction can prevent crisis in families. Please also review our Crisis Intervention Program

The article, “What If We Could Reach Families Before the Crisis? There Would Be Fewer Kids in Foster Care” by Kris Faasse states,

“Many families don’t have extended families, friends or church communities to turn to when there is a crisis. When a crisis hits families without community support systems, their children are at a heightened risk of not getting the care they need and even potentially being removed from their homes.”

Please click here to review the entire article

Please also review our Crisis Intervention Program and see how it matches your academic goals.