AWARE CITIZEN’S GUIDE
FOR HELPING DISTRESSED PEOPLE
Published & circulated in Public interest
By:
Multiversity
of Success Counseling & Vigilance Wing
9820044254 / 9870044254
http://multiversityofsuccess.webs.com
CONTENTS
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• Anxiety
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• Grieving people
|
|
• Depression/Suicide
|
• Multicultural Issues
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|
• Substance Abuse
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• Consultation
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• Angry people
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• Workshops
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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
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