Crisis Plans

Crisis Plans

The best crisis plan is the one that you prepare for but never implement. It incorporates all the things already talked about. It focuses on behaviors that you want to increase, rather than the ones that you want to eliminate. Sometimes though, people go into crisis and sometimes they take you with them. When this happens there are a few things to prepare for and keep in mind.
1. Someone else may be better at helping with the de-escalation than you. A team approach is often, though not always, helpful.
2. When someone is going into crisis there is usually a physiological change. In order to help them reduce their own stress levels, they may need another physiological change. Aerobic exercise (to include a fairly brisk walk) may be a helpful component to the plan. (Sometimes a quiet/relaxing break with low stimulation is all that is needed or can be a great follow-up to something more aerobic.)
3. Choices (when possible, I like three) can be very helpful to relieve the stress, de-escalate the crisis and help people to return to a more thoughtful place.
4. After the crisis, when all seems calm, can be a dangerous place particularly if the crisis erupted fully. The calm after the crisis can sometimes turn into depression.

Additional notes:
I have found music to be very helpful when applied correctly and the pace is gradually used to help people to relax. (It’s sort of like driving at 70 mph then turning into a town where the speed limit is 25. Kind of drives you crazy for a while. It can be the same with music. You usually can not relax someone who is super hyper with super relaxed music. You have to start some place in between then move to more and more relaxed music.
For children and some adults blowing REALLY big bubbles can be very helpful. It changes the breathing patterns without the other person knowing what’s going on. Slow, deep breathing is helpful for relaxation. Adding good music can be helpful.
If this is a significant concern for you and in your situation, I recommend four resources:
One is the MANDT system http://www.mandtsystem.com/
Another is an excellent book by Joan Borysenko, Minding the Body Mending the Mind. (Don’t do the neck exercise, research after the book’s publication has questioned the efficacy of this particular exercise)
The third is Crucial Conversations by VitalSmarts http://www.vitalsmarts.com/
Each may have some applications across situations and some that may be more applicable to some situation than others.
The last little resource that I recommend is baroque music (for REALLY relaxed) and my very favorite is Timeless Motion by Daniel Kobialka. He also has some additonal music that may be more appropriate for other situations. http://www.danielkobialka.com/

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