Sunday, October 28, 2012

AWARE CITIZEN’S GUIDE FOR HELPING DISTRESSED PEOPLE




AWARE CITIZEN’S GUIDE
FOR HELPING DISTRESSED PEOPLE
 


Introduction

The ever-increasing complexity of our society is reflected in the changing needs of people who keep facing new challenges every moment. The staff at the Multiversity Counseling Center found people need, but do not understand that they must seek help with concerns such as depression, anxiety, relationship problems, family issues, & difficulties.
In recognition of the new demands of our society, the Multiversity Counseling Center has prepared this small guide to provide a tool that might be employed as a first step when a problem or question arises in working with anyone.
It provides some initial steps that might be helpful in managing a problem until a referral or consultation can be arranged. This guide is not intended to be all inclusive, nor does it attempt to provide all possible answers to a given situation.
In many cases the satisfactory resolution of a problem may only be arrived at after careful consideration of all the circumstances of a particular case.
The staff of the Multiversity Counseling Center is available to consult with you on any concern that might arise in life. In case of an emergency or a situation in which an individual’s health, safety, or welfare of others is threatened, contact the Multiversity of Success Vigilance Department immediately at 9820044254 / 9870044254

Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common mental health concern found by Multiversity of Success. Anxiety is the feeling of worry, apprehension, fear, and/or panic in response to situations which seem overwhelming, threatening, unsafe, or uncomfortable. Anxiety can be generalized across a range of situations, or it may be situation specific.
Symptoms of anxiety include:
Agitation, panic, avoidance, irrational fear, fear of losing control, excessive worry, sleep disturbance, or eating problems
What to do:

Talk to the person in private and in a soothing manner. Remain calm. Try to help the person develop an action plan to address their immediate concerns. Refer the person to the Counseling Center by calling 9820044254 / 9870044254, while the person is with you, to set up an appointment. If the person refuses, consult with a Counseling Center staff member to follow up and explore other intervention strategies.
Depression/Suicide

Depression is one of the most common problems to affect people from practically all strata. It has been reported that about one-third of citizens demonstrate some symptoms of depression in a given year, and almost half of them will seek help for their depression. While the incidence of depression is about average on this campus, it is an issue that warrants everyone’s attention. As with most problems, it is helpful to intervene as soon as possible. If you are able to recognize symptoms of depression in any person and know which course of action to take, depressed persons will be helped much easily.
Signs of depression: Person has; Inexpressive face, slow speech, sighing, difficulty concentrating, not attentive in talk, expressions of hopelessness or worthlessness, agitation, or irritability and/or YOU feel depressed or somewhat hopeless when speaking with the person.
Warning signs of suicide: comments suggestive of wanting to die and of feeling hopeless. Active signs include direct statements about wanting to kill oneself or behavior such as giving away favorite possessions. Passive signs may include statements such as: “I just want to sleep forever,” “I don’t care if I’m assaulted,” or “I don’t care if my car hits a tree.”
What to do:
Directly ask person concerned if he is depressed or hopeless.
Directly ask person concerned if he feels like hurting himself.
If the answer is yes to either of these questions, refer the person to the Multiversity Counseling Center by calling 9820044254 / 9870044254 immediately, while the person is still with you, to set up an appointment. If the person refuses, spend some more time examining his or her objections and if resistance is still present, contact the Counseling Center or the Multiversity of Success Vigilance Department immediately. Do not hide your concern for the person, and allow the person to remain present when you make the call. Explain why you are concerned and how you feel professionals can be helpful. Be caring, honest, and direct in your communications.
Do not ignore the expressions of depression or wishes to be dead. People often reach out directly or indirectly to those they think will take them seriously, particularly people older than themselves. Friends may be minimizing their feelings by telling them everything is “all right” or “everything will get better.” Try not to threaten, or reproach a depressed person for not doing things as the person is supposed to do. Attempt to find ways of working out the problem with the person, while making appropriate referral to counseling center. If you are in doubt about the seriousness of emergency, contact Multiversity Counseling or Vigilance center.

Substance Abuse

The use of alcohol and drugs is a problem that is present at many places. The serious problems that persons can encounter with substance abuse may follow them after college and in some cases cause a person to withdraw from school. Persons with substance abuse issues are often difficult to handle due to their denial of the usage being a problem. Some warning signs will present themselves during advising. Any one symptom may be misconstrued as its own problem. Identifying symptoms in combination, however, allows one to view the situation as a possible substance problem. Bringing it to the person’s attention may help intervene in further progression of the problem.
Following is a list of common warning signs of substance abuse:

1.      Frequently late anywhere.
2.      Falling asleep anywhere anytime, even in midst of talk.
3.      Change in quality of work.
4.      Unexplained mood swings.
5.      Manipulating or bargaining behavior.
6.      Defensiveness on approach.
7.      Deterioration of personal appearance and hygiene.
8.      Inappropriate clothing like long sleeves when hot, sunglasses at night.
9.      Dramatic weight change.
10. Difficulty walking and talking.
11. Frequent red eyes, runny nose, and sore throat.
12. People around & relatives express concerns.

Addressing this concern requires some patience and persistence, because denial of the problem is a predominant feature of substance abuse issues. A suggestion for approaching a person about substance abuse is to communicate your caring and concern for his or her well-being, while speaking honestly about your observations. Sticking to the facts of your observations will help combat the defensiveness you may be met with. Persons may be referred to the Multiversity Counseling Center for evaluation by calling 9820044254 / 9870044254



Angry and Upset Persons

How to handle angry and upset persons:
1. Do not physically touch the person. Respect the person’s personal space.
2. Find a quiet corner away from others so you can talk with the person in private.
3. Keep your voice soft and your speech pattern a bit slower than normal so the upset or angry person will have to listen carefully to hear you.
4. Seek clarification of the problem. What is it that the person sees as the real problem? What does the person believe would be the solution to the problem?
5. Apologize if the fault is yours or if the fault is in the system (e.g., persons kept waiting for their appointment). “I am sorry you had to wait to see me, but I can give you my full attention now. How can I help you?”
6. In any disagreement remember that a satisfactory conclusion has to leave both parties feeling they can accept the conclusion. It is prudent to do the following:
• Try to see the problem from the person’s point of view, as well as your own.
• Listen carefully. Do not give counter arguments while the person is speaking.
• Solicit suggestions from the person about a possible solution to the problem.
7. In extreme situations where it appears that no reasonable compromise can be attained, be pleasant but firm. “I am sorry that you are not satisfied with any of the options we have discussed. Since this is the case, I suggest you think about a different course of action that may meet your needs.”

Multicultural Issues

Working with persons of various backgrounds can present unique challenges. International persons are in the position of learning about a new country and culture, while simultaneously trying to excel academically. These persons may have different ideas and goals than we normally encounter. Keeping an open mind and paying extra attention to the person’s point of view will be especially helpful. Here are some things to keep in mind when working with persons of backgrounds different than your own.
1.      Be aware of resources offered by different organizations, places.
2.      Respect the persons’ view, i.e., what is important to them & what is a taboo.
3.      Understand that there may be a conflict between values.
4.      Attempt to determine what the problem is from the person’s viewpoint.
5.      Be aware of the differences in the meaning of words across various cultures.
6.      Be aware that different norms may exist in dealing with male and female persons.
7.      Ask what might make the person more comfortable while talking with you.
8.      Know that people from different nations have different physical boundaries.
Grieving Persons

Losing a loved one is hard at any time. Losing a loved one while in college can be especially difficult because of the inherent stresses of study. Reactions to the loss of a family member or friend are varied. Initial reactions are often intense; the person may attempt to deny the loss or possibly “shut down” emotionally. It is important to recognize the additional support the person needs during the time of bereavement. There is no single pattern of how one will grieve. Expect each person to respond in his or her own manner. Here are some tips on how to work with a person who is grieving over the loss of a loved one.
Do this:

1.   Be willing to listen, especially if the person is talking about a lost loved one.
2.   Avoid words like “time will help” or other things that may minimize or invalidate someone’s experience.
3.   Suggest talking with the Multiversity counselor for obtaining help.
4.   Be flexible, allow opportunities, or provide other support.
5.   Remember, loss by death of a dear one can at least be overcome with time, as dead is never seen again; but loss due to separation of a dear one, who still stays in touch, is much more difficult to overcome as there is still a hope of reunion that keeps the wound of loss alive. So dealing with such grief needs further skill.
6.   Expect that time will be required for the person to return to where he or she was before the loss occurred.


Consultation, Referrals

The Multiversity Counseling staff is available to assist you in different ways of working with person difficulties.
First, you may refer persons to the Counseling Center for individual or group counseling. Either you or the person who needs counseling should call 9820044254 / 9870044254 to make an appointment.
Second, we are available to consult with you over the phone. Phone consultations often help to provide the person with the best course of action.
Third, we are able to present workshops on a variety of topics.



Workshops

Our one day workshop is of two hours. It helps you gain valuable information on working with persons. They are conducted for group of 20+.
There are also 12 week diploma courses to let you have an in depth knowledge of the issue you are more interested in addressing for yourself or for people around you.
These diploma courses are conducted at different times at different places. Keep a track of our site to know the next diploma course held near your location and join it.
Such training is available for topics covered here, plus for:

·         crisis intervention,
·         stress management,
·         anger management,
·         anxiety related health issues,
·         working with difficult people,
·         working with difficult situations,
·         career issues,
·         Effective communication,
·         Personality development,
·         Healthy relationships,
·         Behavior management,
·         Public relations.

Do call 9820044254 or mail multiversityofsuccess@yahoo.com; or visit http://multiversityofsuccess.webs.com and leave a feedback, with any questions you have or for organizing any of the above workshops or diploma or joining any of the above diploma or knowing about our e-learning program or our future venue and timing of any of the above diplomas!

Published & circulated in Public interest
By:

Multiversity of Success Counseling & Vigilance Wing
9820044254 / 9870044254
http://multiversityofsuccess.webs.com