How to Resolve a Family Crisis

Family crises can arise from an internal conflict such as death, sickness or drug addiction, or an external event such as a flood or the loss of a job. Either way, it provides a turning point for a family to either work together and gain closeness or fall apart. Families can adapt to a crisis by supporting each other and learning flexibility, according to the University of Delaware Extension. However, sometimes families need extra guidance to learn the best way to handle a crisis.

Instructions

    • 1

      Avoid blame. When a family crisis arises, family members can blame each other for the hardship, which usually makes the problem worse. The University of Delaware Extension encourages the family to work together to resolve the crisis rather than pointing fingers at anyone in the family for the problem. Healthy family dynamics observe crisis as a family-centered problem.

    • 2

      Listen to the problem. Let all family members speak to the problem without interruption. Each family member should get the opportunity to share. Paraphrase what gets said so that the family knows you hear them. Familyeducation.com suggests that this will help the family convey the problem without fostering any misunderstanding.

    • 3

      Enhance coping strategies. The family should learn how to cope with crisis in a healthy manner. Discuss with the family what they believe will solve the crisis. Then present an activity such as a sports game or cleaning project for the family to accomplish together in order to learn to work together in a crisis.

    • 4

      Encourage stress management. The University of Delaware Extension suggests that families should learn to gain control over whatever they can. Help each individual family member find an outlet for stress such as exercise, massages, reading or whatever helps reduce the stress. Practicing stress management with each individual family member will help the family work together as a unit while in crisis.

    • 5

      Find individual solutions. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that family crisis may make each family member feel incompetent. Discuss with the family what each individual can do to minimize the crisis. Then each family member has a task that will help the family recover from the crisis as a whole.

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