Although there are moments in the life of each person that we could think that predispose to suffer a crisis, the truth is that the reaction of each person is different and the perception of what is a moment of crisis and the reasons that generate them are internal.
Perhaps one of the clearest examples is the pandemic, which has been a worldwide crisis and has affected everyone, although not all people have reacted in the same way. There are some who have manifested symptoms of anxiety or depression and others who have not.
That is to say, there are crises that are socially considered a crisis at a global level, which have nothing to do with the personal life of each person, such as confinement or war.
On the other hand, there are other moments in the life of each person that are difficult moments more on a personal level, such as a divorce, a breakup of a couple or the death of a loved one. Generally these are substantial changes in a person’s life that, in order to overcome and cope with them, also require an internal modification.
However, beyond being able to point out which are the reasons that usually lead people to develop anxiety or depression, not everyone responds in the same way and there are some people who are more prone than others to develop them. In fact, 30% of the factors that lead to a greater predisposition to depression or anxiety are genetic.
The rest of the aspects are more a consequence of the individual’s history and are related to how they have learned to adapt to situations or crises, their learning history, where they have grown up and the interactions they have had in their life.
How do I know if I should see a specialist?
In recent times it is very common that we psychopathologize emotions, when it should not be so. Emotions in themselves are neither good nor bad and, in fact, it is considered that certain levels of anxiety are necessary to be able to solve some problems, as well as anguish or sadness. It is important to understand that each emotion has its function.
However, when anxiety or sadness is pathological and is not allowing us to lead the life we want to lead, it is advisable to see a specialist in Psychology. To detect this it is important to take into account the values of each one: that is to say, life depends on how we want it, what kind of relationships we want to have, how we want to be as professionals, as partners or as friends and the relationship we want to have with ourselves.
When anxiety or depression limit us in the development of these values or desires, it is necessary to ask for help.
How is the treatment for a crisis?
First of all, the specialist must make an evaluation of why the person has come to feel the way he/she feels. At this point it is essential not to quickly label the person as a depressive or anxious person and to carry out a personalized and idiosyncratic analysis. As a result of this process, the analyst can understand how anxiety or depression is limiting that person and begin to generate tools.
An important aspect to transmit to the patient is that it is necessary to give place and space to emotions, that is, not to turn them into enemies or to ignore them, since the more we try to hide them, the stronger they will become.
This is a significant stage in the treatment, since when there is an acceptance of the emotion is when we understand that this is talking to us or warning us of our discomfort and is showing us the way forward. That is to say, the acceptance of the emotion must be an acceptance towards action or towards a satisfactory life according to one’s values.
What is the “end” of the treatment?
The goal of the psychologist is that the patient is able, through the tools that are built in the treatment, to look or analyze from another perspective. In this way, in the future, he/she will know how to better handle crisis situations.
In addition, many times when patients analyze past situations, they understand that there was a part or an aspect that they could have handled differently. Generally that part is the one that responds to their personal history and has taught them to react in a certain way.
Therefore, the goal of psychotherapy is to give the patient the tools to learn to handle themselves in an autonomous way. Although the treatment of anxiety and depression is a difficult path, it is important to see a specialist as soon as possible, because the less time passes, the less chronic the symptoms will be.