Crisis

 

What has triggered the crisis, what you have experienced earlier in life and what support you get from people around you affect how you react to the crisis.

No right or wrong way to react during a crisis

One good thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong way to react during a crisis. Some people cry a lot and are open with all their feelings, while others keep their feelings inside. To experience anxiety, worry, fatigue and having sleeping problems is common. Feelings of despair, loneliness, emptiness, and abandonment may also occur.

Some people need to talk a lot about the difficulties they experience, others cannot bear to talk about it at all. This could also vary from day to day. If you are going through a crisis, there might be days when you need to be left alone, and days when you need to have company. The initial part of the crisis can be a time of shock and you may have difficulties understanding what is happening. You might also find it hard to get your life together.

What can you do?

• Stick to your routines
  Try to sleep and eat properly, even if you have lost your appetite. Spend some time outdoors every day, keep exercising and being physically active.  
• Keep doing things you usually do even if you do not always feel like it
  Most people feel good doing “business as usual”, so try to maintain the normality of everyday life as much as possible.  
• Participate in your education as much as you can
  Talk to your teacher or study advisor to make the study situation easier to cope with.  
• Lower your ambitions
  At first, you might not be able to perform at the same level as you usually do. Your stamina and ability to concentrate may be affected. Be kind to yourself and only do what you feel you can manage. Let troublesome thoughts and feelings come. Take some time to write these thoughts down.  
• Avoid alcohol and other drugs
  They might make everything worse and cause more anxiety.  
• Take a break from the hard stuff
  While it is good to let your feelings out, it is a good idea to let your mind rest and do things you used to enjoy doing.  
• Talk to others about what is happening
  Ask for support from friends and family if you need company or help fixing things you cannot handle. Stay in touch with your family and friends at home so they can support you even if they live far away.  

There is no way of telling how long you will be in a crisis. These things are different for different people and depends entirely on what the crisis is about. Remember this however: sooner or later the crisis will pass! 

When to get professional help

• If you are feeling very unwell or thinking about your troubles constantly. 
• If you cannot sleep, eat, or make your everyday life work. 

You can contact the Student Health office for advice or guidance on where to get help.