A crisis occurs when a person has a psychological or physical breakdown in their ability to cope with life. The affected person may feel helpless, trapped and sense a loss of control over their lives. The triggering events can occur suddenly or gradually over time.Untreated mental health issues and/or addiction issues can be a part of it. Affected people may be so afraid and confused that they are unable to take action, make decisions and they may start to lose hope. Situational crises such as getting divorced, losing a job, or getting into a car accident can be triggers as well.Being the victim of a crime or a natural disaster can also be a contributing factor.

“People are in a state of crisis when they face an obstacle to important life goals—an obstacle that is, for a time, insurmountable by the use of customary methods of problem-solving.” (Caplan, 1961)

“…an upset in equilibrium at the failure of one’s traditional problem-solving approach which results in disorganization, hopelessness, sadness, confusion, and panic.” (Lillibridge and Klukken, 1978)

“…crisis is a perception or experience of an event or situation as an intolerable difficulty that exceeds the person’s current resources and coping mechanisms.” (James and Gilliland, 2001)