A Crisis Is A Crisis, No Matter How Small

 No family on this earth gets to avoid the experience of a crisis once or twice in their life--sorry, but it's true. I'm sure if you ponder your own family's life experience thus far, you can think of at least one, even if it's small. A crisis is defined by Oxford Languages as "a time of intense difficulty, trouble or danger" and also as "a time when a difficult or important decision must be made." Personally, I can think of a handful of crises that my family has had to endure, and when I get married, my new family and I will go through even more. It's a hard truth to accept, but it's a part of life and I consider it to just be one of the trials God has given us. I firmly believe that we were sent to this earth by a loving Heavenly Father to be tested. One of the means of being tested is through trials and how well we endure them. Another way is through the daily decisions we make: our agency. We, as God's children, are given trials to test our faith, obedience, and diligence. I believe that He will never give us more than we can handle. As we make our way through this blog post, please keep this next sentence in mind. We must go through difficult times to become stronger and more faithful. Read it as many times as you need to engrain it in your brain.

Before we proceed, I want you to think of a family crisis. Not necessarily a personal one, but a crisis where you and your family members needed to come together in order to make it through. For example, it can be the death of a sibling and/or parent, loss of a job or home, bankruptcy, loss of a pet, etc. But, most importantly, do not let me, or anyone else for that matter, define what counts as a crisis and what does not. I have no say in determining what events have caused you emotional distress. If an event is a crisis in your eyes, it counts. Never let anyone undermine whatever you are feeling at any given time--that is an extremely helpful piece of advice to live by. For the sake of you, your mental health, and your life, please know that every trial you go through is unique to you and your situation. No one, especially the society we live in, has a say in the happenings of your personal life.

Seeing that we all go through different trials over the course of our lives, there are several ways of coping. Some people close themselves off from other family members. Others may turn to substances, such as alcohol--which, I'm sure we can all understand, can lead to a dependency on said substance. And sadly, even physical, emotional, and verbal abuse can arise. As you have probably already determined, those are all unhealthy ways of coping. Other unhealthy coping mechanisms include the following: denial, avoidance, and scapegoating. If you don't know, scapegoating is another word for placing blame on others. If you or a family member tends to handle crises in manners such as these, I highly recommend practicing some of the healthy coping mechanisms that I am going to discuss in the next paragraph.

Before we develop healthy coping mechanisms, we must have healthy family practices that make the unit strong. Some practices include celebrating birthdays, loving unconditionally, managing money well, making health a priority, and engaging in family traditions. Doing things like this builds a strong family foundation.

Now, here are some ways to cope with crises in a positive and healthy manner. One tactic is to take responsibility. If someone is in the wrong, it's best that they acknowledge their wrongdoing/mistake and take full responsibility. Another tactic is practicing compassion. Having a balance between concern for yourself and concern for others is essential. The last healthy coping mechanism I want to share with you is seeking help. Enduring a crisis is already extremely hard, especially alone. I understand it can be hard to break down walls and let people in, but isn't all of the healing and the hope for a better tomorrow worth it? I personally understand how hard it can be to ask for help. I have done it and I can testify how worth it it is to not endure a crisis alone.

Please know that you are never alone. You are loved more than you will ever know!

-

Thank you for reading!

-Katie

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