Grief

Counseling Youth in Times of Crisis “Teenagers can be like elephants. If youVe spent any time around them, this thought has probably crossed your mind, but hopefully wasn’t said out loud. ” We sometimes think teenagers aren’t able to go far in life, or be anything but a problem. Living a carefree life not worried about anything or one around them. Some adults have no idea of all the struggles teenagers have to deal with. Just like adults they deal with stress, death, peer pressure, and lots more.

It is sometimes hard to see past the shield these youth have put up around them. They will test you until they trust you, ut only once they trust you will the real test come. Youth struggle with crisis Just like everyone else, and need a counselor or caregiver to help them through it. Eating Disorder “Eight million people in the United States suffer from an eating disorder, the most common of which is bulimia nervosa. Eighty six percent of suffers report the onset of the disorder before the age of twenty; only half report being cured.

Six percent of serious cases die of the disorder. ” This is very serious and should never be taken lightly. It is getting harder and harder to be a youth in our culture. They have to deal ith constant scrutiny of their peers and coaches; often comparing themselves to the airbrushed, photo shopped models in todays’ magazines. They try to be perfect while knowing they never can be. Some feel extremely guilty about what they are doing but the stress and guilt only leads to them doing it more.

Here are some characteristics that are hints of Anorexia Nervosa: Looks not Just lean, but abnormally thin Extreme attraction/avoidance language and behavior regarding food Obsessive weighing Baggy clothes to hide shape Now here are some characteristics that are hints of Bulimia Nervosa: Abnormally requent trips to the bathroom abnormal fixation on exercise, no matter what Cuts and calluses on knuckles and backs of hands Car or closet smells of vomit When dealing with this in teenagers the first thing you need to do is make sure they are going to get proper treatment and counseling for their disorder.

They need help and telling you was probably very hard, so don’t make them get other help by themselves and also help them inform their parents. Suicide If you are going to work with youth there is a chance that you will work with someone that has attempted suicide, contemplated suicide or had a friend commit uicide. “Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-old Americans. An average ot one person dies by suicide every 16. 2 minutes. ” A very good triend ot mine from high school committed suicide; although no one knows why he did it the last thing posted on his Facebook wall by a friend was the comment mfou’re gay’.

His friend who posted this goes to the school counselor once a week now; he blames himself for his friend’s death; thinking it was Just an innocent Joke. Some of the signs that may alert a parent, teacher, youth leader, pastor or friend to a possible uicide attempt include: Previous suicide attempts Threats of suicide Talking about death Preparation of death (cleaning out locker, giving away possessions, etc. ) Depression Sudden change in behavior (acting out, violent behavior etc. Moodiness Withdrawal Somatic complaints (sleeplessness, sleeping all the time) Fatigue Increased risk-taking Drafting a suicide note We need to watch for these signs when dealing with youth and remember it is better to be safe in checking on a youth’s life, than sorry if they take their life. If you ask a teenager about an issue like this, I think, they are more likely to be thankful than to hink you upset. And if they are upset about you asking those questions about their feelings and life the chances are they are trying to hide something from you or their parents.

When someone comes to us about suicide it is vital that we listen to them and not throw the bible in their face. “Be nonjudgmental. Statements such as mfou can’t be thinking of suicide, it is against the teaching of your church” or “l had a similar problem when I was your age and I didn’t consider suicide” are totally inappropriate during a crisis situation. ” We as caregivers should never make the are receiver feel unworthy of your time or lower their self-esteem. There are a few different reasons that youth attempt suicide: for attention, depression, loss, manipulation, and lots more.

In saying that my sister has attempted suicide three times; she has done it for attention and she has also threatened suicide for the purpose of manipulation. But we should always remember that while the person attempting suicide may be your first concern the family and friends are suffering Just as much if not more. One of the times she was threating to commit suicide she grabbed a kitchen knife and tried to run to her room. Her boyfriend saw her grab it and was attempting to take it from her when my then 9 year old brother walked into the house.

He could not see the knife and didn’t know what was going on; he only knew that his sister looked like she was being beaten up by her boyfriend. Naturally the first thing he did was try to get her boyfriend off of her. This led to the boyfriend yelling at my brother, “Go away! She is trying to kill herself. ” When my brother heard this he ran to his room in tears. It was his snapping point after losing two of his grandparents and his Dad moving away. Now he is taking three medications and ees a counselor once a week. He has been diagnosed with depression, bipolar, and schizophrenic tendencies.

He has never tried to attempt suicide but we a constantly watching for signs and praying for his health. I believe that he will never attempt suicide because we saw the signs as soon as they started to appear. But I believe that way too many times the siblings ot the suicide attempter are overlooked and not given the help that they may need. Always remember that suicide affects everyone around that person. Death I have never met someone who hasn’t dealt with death in some way; whether that s a friend, a parent, a grandparent, a significant other, a sibling, or they themselves are dying.

The five stages of grief are: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. These steps may come in order, they may Jump around, or experience more than one at a time. There is no correct way to grieve it is a process that is different for everyone involved. Some youth may begin to act out when dealing with grief because; they don’t know what else to do. For some students this may be their first experience with death. When dealing with death we must explain to the youth ho is dealing with it that grief is a process. “Listen.

When a teenager is grieving, this isn’t the time to view the conversation as a teachable moment. You don’t need to correct his perceptions or theology, nor do you need to give advice. You need to quietly and attentively listen to him. ” When a teenager losses a parent or parents, make sure they don’t Just Jump into their new adult responsibilities before they are ready. Help them to realize the changes that have to be made in their daily life with the death of this person. Let them see what has to be changed and what kind of help they need to do that.

Always make sure to be available to youth after a death. Be the one to text or call them they won’t always take the initiative to ask for help. Some common mistakes youth workers make when helping a teenager deal with grief are: Being overbearing, looking for teachable moments, hiding their own grief, etc. We want to help but we need to still be aware that the youth has a whole lot to deal with and needs some space to process everything. One of the worse things you can do is try to teach a grieving youth theology; they have enough to worry about and don’t need to have your opinions shoved at them too.

The purpose of this work is to know what CoDA is, to know the different circumstances that draw people to CoDA, and to determine how CoDA relate and help these people. Another objective is to identify the system CoDA uses in order to help people suffering from loss of self direction. By trying to understand the circumstances that revolve around the disruption of self-direction brought about by uncoupling, an analysis of possible courses of action to avoid such human suffering is drawn. Based on the facts gathered, it is difficult to recommend an exact course of action to avoid such human tragedy.

Co-Dependents Anonymous: Guiding After Uncoupling After reading the first few sentences in chapter three of “Codependent Forevermore: The Invention of Self in a Twelve-Step Group”, I came across the word “CoDA” or “Co-Dependents Anonymous” (Irvine, 1999). My initial reaction is to ask myself what is CoDA? The next question that immediately followed my mind, amusingly this time, is CoDA a dating group? Am I eligible to join? Not until I read a few more sentences did I realize there is nothing funny on what I am reading. In fact, there is nothing more serious than trying to resolve the turmoil that uncoupling does to a person.

Uncoupling or breaking up of a relationship has many forms but all brought social and emotional disruption to a person (Irvine, 1999, p. 43). Reading between the lines, I came to the conclusion that one of the general objectives of CoDA is to build up healthy relations by providing companionship to people suffering from disruptions as a result of uncoupling. Uncoupling, in turn, is the breakup of relationships usually resulting to separation or divorce (Irvine, 1999, p. 43). Many who seek support from CoDA had multiple failed marriages and the average age level is forty to forty five.

At this point, my interest in the subject shoots up. I can’t help but imagine what if it happens to me? What shall I do? Why do people get into those predicaments in the first place? Is there a connection between age and the number of times having a failed marriage? According to the text, people who had undergone a divorce are more likely to encounter another one. The feeling of being free again provides the individual with renewed courage to enter into another relationship which, in turn, presents another opportunity for uncoupling (Irvine, 1999, p. 43).

I am not so sure it is correct to consider one’s previous divorce as basis of the probability to experience another divorce per se. However, it is my understanding that it takes time to develop a good relationship, and then realize the incompatibilities between the couple, arrange the divorce, heal the wounds brought by the separation, then start all over again. No wonder people who finally gave up and succumbed to feelings of exhaustion are already at their forties. There are many forms of disruptions, and at various levels, which can be attributed to failed marriages.

However, the most devastating to a person is the loss of self and not the loss of another person. A couple is formed by two people beginning a commitment and gradually merging their identities into a single social unit. Once they established their relationship as a couple, all their friends, social life, household, and even future become a common feature of their relationship (Irvine, 1999, p. 44). In simplest term, the couple functions as one. For whatever reason, once this relationship breaks up, one or both individuals will experience a feeling of helplessness, emptiness, devastation, and total loss (Irvine, 1999, p.

47). This feeling of loss is what draws people to seek help from CoDA (Irvine, 1999, p. 44). The role of CoDA is to help people recover from the disruptions or self loss resulting from uncoupling. By providing CoDA members with a guide to assess what went wrong with their lives and initiating programs of sharing and listening to other people, the individuals are given a new hope and purpose in life (Irvine, 1999, p. 49). The main strategy of CoDA is to teach their participants the proper way to communicate with other participants.

CoDA believes, through narration and storytelling of participants’ accounts of past experiences, the individuals will finally discover what went wrong with their relationships and thereby provide a new tool to start a new life. CoDA devised a format to follow for the narration. The format is divided into five parts namely, abusive childhoods and the origins of codependency, excusing dysfunction, hitting the bottom, working a program, and lastly, redeeming the past (Irvine, 1999, p. 54-59). In my opinion, cases of uncoupling and eventual feeling of self loss will never stop and will continue to happen for as long as humanity exists.

Events, surroundings, experiences, and knowledge absorbed during the course of every individual’s life contributes to the over all behavior, character, and line of thinking of that individual. Perceptions of love, relationships, marriage, family, and other aspects of life are unique in every person. One can only hope to meet and be along with someone having the same perception which, I believe, is the foundation of a lasting relationship. I am not in a position to generalize and recommend solutions to avoid personal grief, anguish, and feeling of hopelessness brought by uncoupling. Nor am I trying to. Factors to be considered are immense.

I can only express my personal thought. I suppose it is important for both individuals in a relationship to have the same view in pursuing a relationship. In simplest terms, both should agree that they love each other, that they are willing to sacrifice personal wants and demands if it is not in favor of the relationship, and that they are both willing to undergo hardships and trials together. Believing they will win and overcome those sufferings because they have each other. Both personages should agree on the kind of relationship they will have, the dreams they will share, and the family that they will build.

All these issues, looks simple, are probably connected to other complicated circumstances. No matter what the simplicity or the complexity of the situations, if one or both of the individuals concerned give up on their struggles, it will be the start of the end of the relationship. The multitudes of ways how people can cope up with self loss are as many as the cases of uncoupling. One thing is for sure, the Co- Dependents Anonymous is there to help. And thank God for that!

Reference

Irvine, Leslie (1999). Codependent Forevermore: The Invention of Self in a Twelve-Step Group. University of Chicago. 43-63.

Kubler-Ross Model of 5 Stages of Death Daniel Redwood, D. C. (1995) mentioned the 5 stages of death was introduced by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in the book On Death and Dying (1956). The 5 stages of death is also known as Kubler-Ross Model. According to this model, there are 5 stages that a person will face when he or she is going through death or is about to lose someone they love or have just lost their loved ones. The 5 stages are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and the final stage is Acceptance (as citied in Elisabeth K. B. , 1956).

The 5 stages will be further explained as below. The first stage is ‘Denial’. In this stage, people who are about to die or have lost their loved ones will be very numb and they will find that there is no purpose in life. Besides that, during this stage, one will not be able to focus in their life and will usually lose their hope. Through being in denial, one will be able to cope and thus making survival to be possible once again. Being in the denial stage also protects them from being overwhelm with the anxiety that they are about to die or have lost their loved ones.

Another important reason why one will be in this stage, is because they are unable to accept the reality that they are about to die or have lost their loved ones ( Elisabeth K. B. , 1956). The second stage of death is ‘Anger’. In the ‘Anger’ stage, one will usually be feeling very angry because they got that particular sickness or because they have lost their loved ones. They feel angry because they feel it’s not fair for them to fall sick or for their loved ones to fall sick. This is mainly due to the reason of belief that they have lived a balanced and healthy life. Therefore, they should not easily fall sick and face death.

During this stage, the person will usually have a targeted person to release their anger. Usually, the person who is facing death due to some terminal illness will release their anger towards the doctor who is treating them, immediate family members or the person who is taking care of them. According to Axelrod, J. (2006), doctors usually becomes the targeted person because the doctor was not able to find a cure or treatment for the illness that the person is facing. This may be due to the stereotype that doctors should be able to treat and cure all of their patient’s sickness.

Family members and the immediate person who is taking care of the person who is facing death becomes the targeted person because the person who is facing death will usually be filled with anger and disappointment due to the fact that they are about to leave their loved ones and not be able to ever see them again. After the ‘Anger’ stage, comes the ‘Bargaining’ stage. According to Elisabeth, K. B. (1956), just before we are about to lose our loved ones, the bargaining stage comes in the form of ‘doing anything and everything’ to spare the life of your loved ones, so that we are able to see them survive and continue living.

The bargaining usually involves spirituality, where one will look towards a higher Being for miracle to take place. After a loss, bargaining will appear in the form of “What if.. ” or “If only.. ” statements. This is because, we would wish if we could have return to the past and change things so that we would not have lost our loved ones. The next stage is ‘Depression’. Elisabeth, K. B. (1956) mentioned right after the ‘Bargaining’ stage, we will step into the present state. Feeling of emptiness, sorrow and grief will be very deep and at times unbearable.

During this stage, one will feel as though this depression will always be there. Elisabeth, K. B. (1956) also state that the stage of depression is normal when one has lost their loved ones. Finally, we will go through the ‘Acceptance’ stage. During this stage, we have finally accepted the reality and able to live in the present. We may not like the reality, however we have learned to accept. We have finally made a way to be able to continue living our life and move on. Instead of denying the past, one will be able to change, grow and continue living

Ramesh is 45 year old Sri Lankan man who works as a telephone engineer. He lives alone, but for many years he looked after his elderly mother, who died 18 months ago. Ramesh was recently hospitalized after a suicide attempt.

He had been taken anti-depressants for several months before he took an overdose. According to his sister, he had become depressed and was drinking and smoking a lot, and hardly ever eating. He had been taking time off, and at risk of losing his job with BT. His sister says that Ramesh went downhill after the death of their mother, but that she was surprised at this as he always complained about at the things he had to do for her when she was alive. The sister has a family of her own, but says that she has tried to involve Ramesh in her family, but he had mostly refused.

He had friends who he used to play cricket with, but he has stopped seeing them. He had been saying that there’s nothing to live for, and he wanted to be left alone. Ramesh is due to be released from hospital in two weeks time.

Theory is defined as a set of ideas which can be beliefs or assumptions that guides social work professional to provide high quality practice and work effectively (Oko, 2008:6). A theory represents therefore a tool for social work to use. It also helps workers to make sense of what is happening on people’s life and what can be done to help them.

This piece of work aims to explain the main principles, advantages and disadvantages of attachment and crisis intervention theories. Also, how these theoretical frameworks direct workers to carry out assessment, planning and intervention process and apply them to Ramesh’s case study illustrates above. I will then consider how far these models facilitate anti-oppressive practice in working with service users and why I choose them. To begin with, I will talk about attachment theory. The background of this theory was first developed by Freud.

He was a psychoanalyst who viewed the bond between mother and an infant as sexually orientated. “The bond which links mother to infant is libido” (Holmes 1997:62). According to Freud, an infant expresses anxiety when he or she cannot suck the mother’s breast. During the feeding, an infant “discharges his libido” (Holmes 1997:62), in consequence the retention of anxiety diminishes. In the contrary, John Bowlby saw attachment between a mother and an infant as a “psychological bond in its own right not an instinct” (Holmes 1997:63) as Freud has described it.

In addition, a child needs a mother to satisfy a physiological need to be able to cope throughout the life course. According to Bowlby, an infant that experiences separation or loss from the mother can have mental problem in adulthood or juvenile delinquency in childhood. The nature of the bond is about love, affection and a consistent and emotionally invested person in a child. In the absence of love, a child feels disorientated, lost and unhappy. “I am close to my loved one I feel good, when I am far away, I am anxious, sad or lonely” (Holmes 1997:67).

The proximity seeking is essential because a child needs to be comforted when feels distress, for this reason a cuddle or a touch from a love one is a great help. Bowlby also stated that the proximity of the main care giver, who is the mother, is essential. Babies need to feel attached to one person. He argued that the mother was the best person to play that role. According to Bowlby babies have a biological need to form an attachment to a particular person who feeds and cares for them. He called it monotropy. He maintained that this was a survival instinct without it the child would be exposed to danger.

This attachment occurs only in a vital period of time, which is the first five years in order to achieve a particular skill. He called this period “critical period”. The absence of the mother as attachment figure leads to maternal deprivation. Bowlby believed that maternal deprived children were more likely to develop poor social adjustment and difficult relationships in adolescence and adulthood. Subsequent to these others researchers said that it is not the absence of the mother but the presence of conflicts and disruption during the upbringing of children that cause difficulties in late life (Holmes 1997:51).

For Bowlby, mothers should be devoted to their children to protect them and care for them. He believed that the interaction between a child and the main care giver helps the child to identify the self and to be ready to explore the world alone. It is called internal working model. It is a process by which a child commences to understand the self with the presence of a care giver or multiple carers leading to a positive internal working model (Holmes, 1997:78). According to Bowlby a secure child has a positive working model.

In the contrary, an insecure attached child “sees himself as ineffective and unworthy of love” (Holmes, 1997:79). Bowlby would have said that Ramesh has a negative internal working model because according to his sister, he said that “there is nothing to live for and he wanted to be left alone”. He felt insecure, but again it can be argued that Ramesh’s response is explained by his natural emotion that matters to him not because he is an insecure attached child or because of the fact of loss leads to bad thoughts (Holmes, 1997:162).

In a cultural point of view, maybe that was his way to mourn his mother’s death. Mourning is defined as a process of correcting the idea that, a bereaved person still feel attached to a love one who is no longer there and of overcoming the loss (Messer & Jones, 2001 :490). Different cultures prescribe different grieving rituals. Maybe Ramesh wanted to express his grieving by being alone. The other key concept of attachment theory is the response of the care giver towards the child in order to determine if a child feels secure or insecure.

To understand the relationship between attachment and children’s behaviour, Mary Ainsworth made a reliable naturalistic study in 1960s of mothers and their children in their first year of life. The experience is called “strange situation”. It is described as follow. A mother and child are introduced to a room with toys. Three minutes later the child is left alone with a stranger then the mother will come again and the child is again left alone without the stranger. The aim of the experience was to see how the child reacts on the presence and absence of the mother as a secure base when eft alone with a strange person and the experience lasted twenty minutes (Payne, 2005:82). Five patterns of behaviour were identified: the first one was secure attachment, the second one was insecure avoidant, and the third one was insecure ambivalent, the fourth one was insecure and disorganised and the fifth one was non-attachment. Although this experience was done on a child under stress, the results of attachment are maintained throughout the life cycle. Therefore it helps to understand an adult behaviour when facing separation or bereavement.

For instance to be able to understand how Ramesh was related to his mother and what kind of therapeutic strategies to use, a social worker has to consider these patterns of attachment. The fact that Ramesh cannot cope without the mother being around even though he was the one looking after her, can be interpreted as a “fear of autonomy or compromised”(Holmes1996:20). He had an insecure ambivalent attachment. He was clinged to his mother, she was a secure base moreover her death made him independent and fearful to take back his autonomy and assertiveness.

He seems to be showing his anger and pain through drinking, smoking, an overdose of anti-depressant and attempting suicide. He is facing with the loss of a significant attachment figure. Bowlby’s explanation of attachment theory focuses on mother. He did not take into account of the role of the father or a different care giver or multiple care givers. In other cultures, the extended family has an importance in rising up children. Also the socio-economic aspect was not raised by Bowlby. Meaning that for him a father was the main bread winner and a mother had the duties to look after children at home.

He did not consider working mothers and single parenting. But again Bowlby’s work was done during the world war 1950’s. Attachment theory did not take into account of individuality. For instance, in a strange situation, different children would have reacted differently. Moreover Kagan quoted in psychology and social care suggested that “avoidant infants are difficult to upset, ambivalent infants are easy to stress and that secure infants are somewhere between these two” (Messer & Jones, 2001:232).

But again some people think that, the classification of attachment behaviour patterns are useful to understand children, to trace back childhood history and to be able to understand adults’ actual problems in relation to mental health. Theories give an idea about what is happening in a situation in social work profession. It also directs workers on how they are going to solve problems, what needs to be done in order to resolve the problem. Having saying that, attachment theory helps to understand Ramesh behaviour and attitude. He was admitted to the hospital because of depression.

This could be explained by the fact that there is a relationship between bereavement and vulnerability to psychiatric disorder (Holmes, 1996:179). However, social worker will have the task to assist Ramesh in his explorations of his present and past life. The social worker has to understand how Ramesh is coping with the bereavement in his life. In order to do so the worker has to work in partnership with Ramesh, he is the best person to explain how he is feeling and coping, also what needs to be done to solve the problem immediately.

Attachment theory helps to understand what is going on in Ramesh’s life. The next step will be to take action to help him. Crisis intervention model is then a practical tool that helps professionals to act efficiently. Crisis intervention was first developed by Roberts who defined it as “turning points in people’s lives” (Roberts quoted in Payne, 2005: 103). This means that, it is a point of time for deciding something when an individual is faced with an urgent stressful situation such as bereavement, a loss of a closer family member or a loss of job.

The response should be then spontaneous. The theory focuses on a limited period of time (four to six weeks) within which a social worker helps and supports a service user who works though bereavement to develop new adaptive ways of coping. It assumes that the society we live in is a smooth society where norms and values are shared and understandable by all. Everyone should fit in it but then again in case an individual experiences distress he or she should find away to resolve it in order to conform.

Crisis intervention also states that the life course of all individuals is constituted of many events crisis. According to (Roberts 1995:29) “A crisis is a period of Psychological disequilibrium and decreased functioning as a result of an event or situation that creates a significant problem which cannot be resolved by using familiar coping strategies”. In addition, people in crisis may experience a host of emotions, including feelings of anxiety, guilt, helplessness and withdrawal from friends and relatives. According to the definition, Ramesh can be considered to be facing crisis.

For instance according to the information provided, Ramesh has attempted suicide, he took an overdose of anti-depressants, and he is avoiding his friends. Further to this the sister stated that Ramesh has become depressed and was drinking and smoking a lot. All of this information indicates the breakdown of Ramesh’s psychological equilibrium. The major cause of all these problems is the death of his mother. Ramesh might be scared to take on a new role. This suggests that new approaches must be developed for Ramesh to build his equilibrium.

Crisis intervention theoretical method can therefore be applied when working with Ramesh to ensure that he develops new coping mechanisms. It is based on ego psychology derived from a psychologist, Freud and others who helped in the building of his work. It was developed around the observations of Caplan 1965 and others who looked at how people coped with a crisis in their lives. Psychodynamic ego psychology is used in crisis intervention to emphasise people’s emotional strengths in dealing with crisis (Payne 2005:98).

This theory is a coping mechanism for any crisis situations including domestic violence, mental health, child abuse, drugs or alcohol problems, or the admission to hospital or care home, breakdown of close relationships etc. The crisis poses a major threat to most human beings. The response to this crisis differs from one person to another. For instance, the bereavement can be coped very well with the presence of family members and friends by one person while another whose life centred almost entirely around the dead person may feel that life is not worth and reject the support available as Ramesh did according to his sister.

The theory works then towards the provision of opportunity for growth and positive changes following an emotional or physical experience which may lead a person to a break down. The idea of crisis intervention theory is to empower the person and to support them in taking the positives from the situation. Ramesh case study is a typical case where crisis intervention theory is a useful tool to use. There are lots of crisis situations surrounding him which therefore, needs intervention. Intervention has a very active, practical, directive about it.

The crisis in Ramesh is not the issue of his mother’s death but rather his perception of and response to this situation. His crisis responses will be seen as drinking, smoking, taking time off the job and not eating enough. Issues raised in this case are that Ramesh is depressed and introverted as described by his sister. Crisis intervention theory suggests that a particular issue in a given crisis might represent a reaction to an issue elsewhere in the same or a connected issue. Going through this hard time might be an unfamiliar situation for him.

An action at one point can therefore be expected to lead to a reaction elsewhere. If at this point in Ramesh’s life and intervention does not take place, then, he might go back to hospital and maybe end up with a severe mental health problem. I feel that crisis intervention can help Ramesh to develop a new coping mechanism by working through his experiences and feelings so he can see things better and return to stability. Crisis intervention looks at what someone can do rather than cannot do; therefore it is a social model of intervention.

This can be achieved through the use of the seven stages of the theory described by Roberts 1995. The first stage is an initial assessment, where Rameh’s risks and safety are identified together with others. If he is thought to be a high danger to himself or to others, referral is made to a psychiatrist for consideration of hospitalisation. In the event of hospitalisation, the intervention proceeds. On the second stage, the worker should establish rapport and appropriate communication with Ramesh for him to understand that he “can overcome current problems and arrive at a satisfactory tomorrow” (Roberts, 1995: 20).

This can be done through listening and reassuring him of a stable future. It will also help him in reducing the negatives aspects in his crisis events by structured therapy dealing with the immediate crisis that is taking small steps in dealing with his anxieties. The third stage requires the worker to explore Ramesh’s existing strengths, weaknesses and resources. It is also about identifying the major problems to deal with and addressing them. On the next stage, the worker sets some goals using the strength approach.

Providing practical help and assessment of the relevant crisis issues will enable the presenting crisis situation to return to equilibrium. With Ramesh’s situation, focusing on the crisis event but also expanding beyond the factual information to include his current emotions is the first step. His crisis issues will be separated in order to decrease his anxieties and to help him make decisions about the smoking, drinking, relationship with his sister and playing cricket with his friends one at a time and for him to be able to define his goals and develop an action plan.

In stage five, the worker should implement the plan, teaching new skills or mobilizing other support. Actions that needs to be taken are the use of a counselor to obtain detailed psychological information, identifying the barrier for example, the resilience of socialisation, acknowledgement of his strengths and interest for example playing cricket while addressing the rejection of his sister support. Moreover the elements of psychological ego psychology can also be applied to emphasize Ramesh’s strength in dealing with crisis.

This method will be significant because Ramesh seems to be acting unconsciously and has a psychological disequilibrium. For instance, he has been drinking and smoking a lot and hardly eating, also isolating himself from his friends and feeling guilty that he did help his mother enough when she was alive. The therapeutic intervention will assist Ramesh to recognise his painful and repressed feelings. If Ramesh identifies his hidden thoughts and feelings, new coping mechanisms should be established through the mobilization of resources for support such as offering him bereavement counseling.

The aim is to reduce continuing unpleasant effects and emotions. Then on the sixth stage, Ramesh together with his counselor need to review the actions that were taken and evaluate their success but to return back to the action if the crisis is not fully resolved. On the final stage, he would also be helped to think about potential future crisis, how they might be addressed and where future support may be found. And if his case is going to be terminated due to success of his actions, his feelings will be process around ending the therapeutic relationship.

By providing crisis intervention, Ramesh learns new ways of coping, sees himself differently and new opportunities for the future whilst being empowered to take control. According to (Thompson 2001:11) “good practice is not dependent on the use of anyone method or approach, it is more to do with using the methods in an anti-oppressive way”. This means not being only aware of the potential for discrimination and oppression in the worker and service user relationship in social work practice, but also need to constantly look at ways of using the approaches in order to reduce oppression and discrimination.

The support helps him to draw out the positives from the changes he experienced. Cognitive behavioural theory also works well with crisis intervention as it comes from the psychological theories of information processing which can also correlate how Ramesh is feeling and coping with the crisis situation. Ramesh will also be aware that decisions should not be made on the basis of one problem alone as it will create other problems. My rationale of choosing this theory is that, a limited period of time is given to resolve the crisis and therefore, effective in terms of effort and resources.

The sooner Ramesh regains control of his life the better in one hand. On the other hand, good practice takes time. Consequently, an early assessment and intervention are crucial, in order to react effectively to gear towards preventing future crisis. Also crisis intervention can be highly intrusive and directive which can raise number of issues, for example ethical dilemmas and rights such as decision making process. In summary, I have explained attachment and crisis intervention theories and how the first one helps Social Worker to understand human behaviour when facing bereavement.

The second approach has a role to play in promoting the anti-oppressive approach in social work practice, by restoring as much control as possible and validating and celebrating service user strengths. It uses elements of ego-psychology from and promotes the time limited and more focused ways of working with service users. Although, the theories have limitations, they provide frameworks for Social Workers to engage with service users in the most effective way.

Bibliography

1. Holmes, J. (1996) Attachment, Intimacy, Autonomy: Using Attachment Theory in Adult Psychotherapy.
2. New Jersey: Book Mart Press. Holmes, J. (1997) John Bowlby and Attachment Theory.
3. London: Routledge. Messer, D & Jones, F. (2001) Psychology and Social Care.
4. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Ltd. Oko, J. (2008) Understanding Social Work Theory. London: Learning Matters.
5. Payne, M. (2005) Modern Social Work Theory. 3rd ed. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
6. Roberts, A R. (1995) Crisis Intervention and Time-Limited Cognitive Treatment.
7. London: Sage Publication Ltd. Thompson, N. (2001) Anti-discriminatory Practice. 3rd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave.

Influences of Eastern Religions In My Life The two readings that have impacted, influenced, and challenged my view of religion are the Bhagavad Gita (BG) and the basic writings of Zhuangzi. I have chosen these readings because of their influence and insight they have unveiled to me in my present station of life. In particularly, from the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna’s teaching in chapter 2 “The Path of Reality,” and from Zhuangzi; his perspectives from his writings in section 3 “The Secret of Caring for Life” and section 18 “Supreme Happiness. Both have spoken to me from a different context, within a different set of parameters than that of my own faith and practice; bringing me to a fresh and profound understanding of some of my own enduring dilemmas within my own religious tradition. I currently consider myself a Mormon (Latter-day Saint) and have been for the last 13 years. Up until this REL 101 class I was not familiar with these eastern religious traditions and perspectives.

The Path of Reality, as titled for chapter 2 in the (BG), has opened my eyes to its valuable lesson, which I am thankful for its influence. The concept of non-attachment is prevalent here in this chapter. Non-attachment means to live life like a lotus leaf, without being touched by it or polluted by it. It is living free from the encumbrances of life and the attractions and distractions it has to offer, not passively by running away from them, but actively by developing equanimity (yoga) and Self(atman)-awareness (Ch. v. 30-48). According to the (BG) contact with sense objects results in attachment (Ch. 2 v. 58). In the following versus it expounds this thought: When we do not have the right discrimination we lose the ability to choose wisely, which results in the consequences of karma that binds us to this world and samsara. Though I have not embraced every facet of Hinduism, the powerful language found in the (BG) has strengthened me to tackle present-day ongoing trials in my own life with new vigor and enthusiasm.

What I would just simply categorize as sin or an evil deed from the presets of my own religious tradition, I have found new terminology and explanation for my behavior that has been empowering and invigorated my ambition to overcome this adversity I have been facing in my life. The other reading that has had a positive impact on me is the basic writings of Zhuangzi. Section 3 “The Secret of Caring for Life. ” Here, Zhuangzi conveys a story about Cook Ding, the butcher, which draws a more favorable portrait of specialization (Zhuangzi, p. 45-46).

His example is consistent with Aristotle’s observation that human life offers no more of a fulfilling activity than the exercise of some acquired skill. Highly honed skills invite paradoxical, almost mystical, description. In performance we seem to experience a unity of actor and action. Such practice is a way of losing oneself as one might in contemplation or in a trance. Zhuangzi considers Cook Ding possessing remarkable skill, almost effortlessly, because this skill in action is done concurrently while being one with the Dao (p. 45-46).

The accuracy of our own actions sometimes mystifies us. We do not understand how we did it; we certainly cannot explain it to others. I found this story intriguing because I am one who values self-mastery. As an ex-collegiate athlete I can relate to Cook Ding, but would rather call it “being in the zone. ” Although I am not a follower of Daoism there are many things I find appealing in this tradition; this mystical story being one of them. The other section from Zhuangzi “Supreme Happiness” has aided the recent loss of my great grandmother “Grandma Bea. My great grandma was a pillar of faith in my life and a great exemplar in many arenas of life. At times, naturally, I found myself grieving over her loss. Reading this section I felt that it gave me fresh insight to coping with this loss. At first, I found myself more like Huizi, rather than Zhaungzi. As pondered this for the past couple weeks my grief has subsided. When Zhuangzi’s wife died and he beat on a drum instead of mourning for her, he answered his Huizi by explaining that perhaps his wife had evolved into a happier existence than that which she had enjoyed while in human form.

It was not wrong to have loved her and to miss her, but it was wrong to mourn her change from one form to another (Zhuangzi, 115). Zhuangzi’s parables point out that one cannot be certain what is best for other people and that one should therefore avoid imposing tentative and uncertain values on others. He also enlightens the reader about the realities of death and the clarity that comes from having a higher knowledge which gives greater understanding and ability to cope with death. He states, “If I were to follow after her awling and sobbing, it would show that I don’t understand anything about fate. So I stopped (115). Thus, death is simply a phase in the turning of the wheel of fortune that is the Dao. The turning of the wheel voids the identity and disintegrates the material body of the dead person. From the standpoint of the Dao, however, no state of being is more desirable than another. As a natural event in the cycle of human life, death is neither to be feared nor to be sorrowed over. This perspective has given me new insight and ability to cope with my recent loss.

How does Hamid employ symbolism throughout the novel? Is his use of symbolism effective? What is lost and gained through the use of symbolism? The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a novel in which an American immigrant Changez is living a dream with a great job, money, and the “regal” Erica by his side. However after the 9/11 attacks Changez’s perception on America shifted, he was forced to question where his allegence lies and this developed into contempt for America.

If you read The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, and fail to dig below to the surface of the text then the novel will hold an entirely different meaning to you. Hamid used heavy sybolism to convey meanings and themes that are better not said outright, and overall altered the impression the novel leaft. While reading The Reluctant Fundamentalist it became apperant that Changez’s love interest Erica symbolized America. Besides the obvious that Erica is the last five letters of America, there were multiple parallels in the story Hamid built for Erica and the way he portrayed America.

When Changez first met Erica he says, “She had a presence …a naturalist would likely have compared her to a lioness: strong, sleek, and invariably surrounded by her pride”(22). Changez also comments of the pride America shows with, “stickers of flags adorned windshields and windows; large flags fluttered from buildings. They all seemed to proclaim: We are America…the mightiest civilization the world has ever known. ”(79). Akin to America after 9/11, Erica seemed to be, “utterly detached, lost in a world of her own… she was struggling against a current that pulled her within herself”(86).

Similarly after 9/11 Changez felt that America, “retreated into myths of your own difference, assumptions of your own superiority”(168). The grief that Erica felt over the loss of Chris was representative of the grief America felt after 9/11 and how that prevented both Erica and America from moving on and accepting Changez. When Changez goes to see Erica at her clinic he is told by a nurse that, “It did not matter that the person Erica was in love with was deceased; for Erica he was alive enough, and that was the problem. ”(133) America, too, was increasingly giving itself over to a dangerous nostalgia,” he claimed that he, “had always thought of America as a nation that looked forward; for the first time I was stuck by its determination to look back. ”(115) The grief that Erica felt over the loss of Chris was representative of the grief America felt after 9/11 and how that prevented both Erica and America from moving on and accepting Changez. When Changez goes to see Erica at her clinic he is told by a nurse that, “It did not matter that the person Erica was in love with was deceased; for Erica he was alive enough, and that was the problem. (133) If Erica represents America and their inability to move on from their grief, then Chris is a symbol for 9/11. When Changez goes to visit Erica in the clinic,the nurse he meets when he first enters tells him that, “It did not matter that the person Erica was in love with was This was included to show Cahngez’s changing relationship with America and an alternative way to show how America is broken and how because of America’s tendency to look back, and hold on to the past prevented America fro building relationships with outher countries

If you did not connect that Erica was America you might hink that this was about a Pakistany that came to American and wound up hating and criticisming it until he left. In reality it was about a man, or boy rather, that had big dreams of his life in America, ones that seemed to be coming true. But just as Erica could not let go of the past, America couldn’t let go of the hatred and fear they held for those who seemed un-American.

1. Define the problem (from student’s perspective) 2. Ensure safety (including assessing potential for self-harm) 3. Provide support 4. Examine alternatives 5. Make a plan 6. Obtain a commitment (including no-harm agreement where applicable) Tragedy struck a small west Texas town Saturday when beloved Lubbock Christian School (LCU) superintendent, Peter Dahlstrom, accidentally shot and killed his nine year old granddaughter, Soren, while rabbit hunting on the family farm. The entire community has been shocked by this tragedy and the effects of the incident will be felt in the community for some time.

Many people in the community will benefit from crisis intervention techniques during this time. I have applied Robinson’s Crisis Response Model for successful crisis intervention to develop a plan of action to help teachers, students, and faculty through this difficult time. The model suggests the following six steps: 1) Define the problem; 2) Ensure safety, including assessing potential for self-harm; 3) Provide support; 4) Examine alternatives; 5) Make a plan; and 6) Obtain a commitment, including a no-harm agreement where applicable.

The first phase of the crisis intervention plan is to inform as many people of the issue as quickly as possible. To quickly reach as many people as possible, the crisis team sent out an email to inform parents as immediately after the accident occurred. It would be best if the children are not blind-sided by the information at school on Monday morning. I expect several of the students and faculty members to go through the 5 classic stages of grief identified by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (1969), which are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Sometimes this can be a slow process, so I think some students and teachers will require on-going help to process this tragic loss of life. My plan involves the following crisis intervention steps: 1. Have a Staff Pre-meeting first thing Monday morning: a. Invite all the staff who feels affected by the crisis. I feel it is important to include part-time teachers, bus drivers, playground supervisors, janitors, secretaries, and any other workers who would like to join. b. Keep communications open and give facts on the situation, as appropriate within the bounds of confidentiality.

Prepare a handout for staff not in attendance. c. Share reactions and feelings with one another, taking time for mutual support. The school crisis team shares information on grief, and answers the questions and concerns of the staff. d. Give a plan for the day that has been prepared by the crisis team. 2. Prior to the first active school day How to tell Students e. Decide which students are to be told. f. Confirm what information they will be told. g. Decide who will tell the students. h. Outline the procedures for how they will be told. i.

Discuss how they may react and what to do. 3. The Debriefing Meeting: A meeting with staff at the end of the day to discuss how the day went for both students and staff. 4. Activities to Discourage: Large assemblies or public address announcements – these make it difficult to provide support to students on an individual basis. When he Lubbock Christian School community mourned the loss of a student and the pain of their leader. “This is a great tragedy for our school,” said Brian Pitaniello, chairman of the Lubbock Christian School’s Board of Trustees.

Pitaniello said Peter Dahlstrom has worked as superintendent of the school for 17 years. “He is a spiritual leader for our school; he loves our kids,” he said. Hundreds of students, teachers parents and friends of the Dahlstroms gathered for a student-organized prayer vigil in honor of the family Saturday morning in the school’s auditorium. “That just shows the impact this family had on our school,” Pitaniello said. “This school and this community loves this were answered by a family friend who said the family did not wish to speak with the media. family. and our heart breaks for this family.

We hurt for her family for a loss of a child as well as for the loss of a classmate and the loss of a student. ” School administrators sent an email to parents early Saturday informing them of the incident. Parents were told grief counselors would be available for students. Parents of third-graders were urged to meet with a children’s grief counselor at 8 a. m. Monday morning at the school to help mothers and fathers feel more confident in talking with their children about the tragedy. Classes were expected to go on as scheduled Monday. Phone calls to the Dahlstrom house in Anton . k. Student and staff contact with the media while at school – media contacts can be disruptive and sometimes insensitive. Direct all media to the public information officer or representative. l. Removing belongings of the deceased- this is best done gradually and can include family members and friends. Having concrete reminders in the classroom can help teachers and students let go gradually. m. Staying rigid with regard to curriculum and scheduling – reactions will vary, from needing flexibility to needing structure. Decisions must be made on an individual basis. n.

Not communicating with students, staff, parents and community on unfolding events. o. Treating the death of students differently because of status or community position, etc. 5. Safety Valves p. Make sure there are enough staff and school crisis team members to support all who may need it. It’s much better to have more than you need, than to need, more than you have. q. Designate a safe room for anyone wanting a place to go to, if needed. Make sure everyone knows its purpose and location. r. Hold a debriefing meeting at the end of the day to give people a place to process the day and receive support and validation. bnnhb