Please respond to the 2 discussion boards below with at least 100 words and refe
Please respond to the 2 discussion boards below with at least 100 words and references, per the attached document.
DISCUSSION BOARD 1:
One of the crises discussed in the textbook is death. There are many suggestions and helpful interventions to help those who are dealing with the loss of a loved one. The tasks of mourning can be very helpful for someone dealing with death. The tasks of mourning include accepting the reality of the loss, experiencing the pain of grief, adjusting to an environment from which the deceased is missing, and withdrawing emotional energy from the deceased and reinvesting it in another relationship or cause (Kanel, 2019). Rather than dealing with loss in very concrete stages, these tasks are more focused on goals to work towards as they come up after the loss of a loved one. Some important points addressed in these steps are accepting the loss, facing the pain of the loss rather than suppressing it, and developing new skills (Kanel, 2019). If I were a therapist, once a connection and trust were formed between me and a patient experiencing loss and the emotions they are experiencing have been identified, I would work with them to find healthy ways to cope with the loss and how to move forward as described in the textbook. Another intervention model that can be used to help those coping with the death of someone is the, “continuing bonds matrix reconstruction and coping in NoDIL” (Yehene et al., 2021). The model, “consists of three main components: ongoing interpersonal input and its quality; 3-dimensional schemas of past, present and future; and cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes required for adaptive coping” (Yehene et al., 2021). Along with the ABC model and the NoDIL model, it is important for people to remember that God is always with them, especially during hard times, such as dealing with death. This is shown in Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (New International Version, 1978).
DISCUSSION BOARD 2:
My topic of discussion is going to be the death of a family member. I chose this subject because one of my best friends recently lost his mother and is currently going through the stages of grief and tasks of mourning. The tasks of mourning are 1) accepting the reality of the loss 2) experiencing the pain of grief 3) adjusting to the environment where the deceased is missing 4) withdrawing emotional energy from the deceased and reinvesting it (Kanel, 2019). Grief can be experienced in many ways such as feelings, behaviors, cognitions, and physical sensation. Several factors will determine the intensity of the grief; in this case it was my friend’s mother, the nature of the attachment was very close, and the means of death was a motorcycle accident. As you can imagine, the unexpected death of someone so close has caused intense grieving. My first thought goes to the book of Ecclesiastes which tells us there is a time for everything; “A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4, NLT). For my friend, it is his time to grieve the loss of his mother.
The ABC model seeks to identify the precipitating events as well as the individual’s cognition about the event. Asking the client about their levels of distress, previous coping mechanisms, and how their normal level of functioning has decreased are all important to the process. Some of the ways to overcome grief are talking about the loss and processing emotions, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is critical for those working through grief. According to Horton et all. people who experience the traumatic death of a family, such as an automotive accident, are more likely to develop a substance abuse disorder as well as anxiety and depression (2018).
If I were a crisis counselor, I would try and identify if the client had previously attempted to cope with crisis by using drugs and alcohol. If yes, I would ask if that coping mechanism had successfully resolved previous crisis in order to show that it is a failed coping mechanism. From there, I would suggest healthier options such as counseling, exercise, and getting enough sleep to return the client to a previously established level of functioning.