A PROPOSED SOLUTION FOR THE
VETERANS CRISIS AND OTHER RELATED
EFFECTIVELY COPING WITH THE MULTIPLE CRISES PARALYZING OUR COUNTRY
The United States is overwhelmed by a number of complex problems seemingly defying adequate answers.
Among these many problems are: PTSD issues including excessive delays in providing requisite treatment; a continuing epidemic of drug and alcohol addiction; an epidemic of veteran suicides, numerous negativeside effects due to costly and often over prescribed anti -anxiety and anti–depression medication; an epidemic of gun violence, bullying, domestic violence and rapes both in the military and non-military sphere; and a predicted severe shortage of health care providers coupled with costly and inappropriate use of hospital emergency facilities. Each individual issue is experienced as a crisis. Collectively they add up to a climate of crisis calling for adequate and action as yet woefully missing. New thinking is sorely needed in creating strategies aimed at obtainingcrisis intervention which is immediate, cost effective and long lasting. The most effective crisis intervention would occur at the first meeting by identifying and focusing on underlying causes for the long term, not simply providing exercises and pills to obtain short term symptom relief.
Research has identified the underlying cause of all crises as affect intolerance to ‘negative feelings’ including frustration, anxiety, depression, and stress. Additional feelings include feeling stuck, helplessness, hopelessness, ambiguity, ambivalence, not knowing, confusion, and the likes.
To provide a roadmap for first responders to help those in crisis learn to identify and overcome their allergy to negative feelings. Obtaining longterm mastery over the feelings of anxiety, depression, frustration, and stress requires that a person assume responsibility for addressing the underlying causes not just focusing on the surface symptoms associated with a given crisis. This is accomplished by making a CHOICE to change an initial negative ATTITUDE about negative feelings to one that is positive by shifting one’s attitude towards them from avoiding and masking them to actively confronting and mastering them.
The Attitude Shifting Manual is an e book detailing a five step cost effective, relatively easily to implement method to help first responders help those in crisis to identify and work through their underlying cause.See Amazon:
I am a psychoanalyst in private practice in NYC for the past 46 years specializing in substance abuse and crisis intervention. See my websitewww.gibbsonline.com for more information. I may be reached at:email@example.com, and at my office phone: 212 254 1084