Moving beyond books that address a single type of crisis (e.g. death of a child; diagnosis of a serious illness; sexual assault). Its focus is on helping the general reader and non-specialists recognize common signs of crisis across a range of life challenges. It shows how unexpected events, e.g. death of a loved one or diagnosis of a serious illness often intersect with life cycle transition points (i.e., adolescence, mid-life, old age) and can leave people more vulnerable to slipping into crisis-especially when lacking one's usual social supports. Through extensive use of stories, the book aims to help people identify and respond appropriately to the typical feelings and behaviors when facing traumatic events and life-threatening crisis. For example, some people in acute crisis express a fear of "going crazy " or have thoughts of suicide or violence toward others. Readers will learn that the high anxiety typical of crisis is normal, not usually a sign of mental illness. Whether or not critical life events result in crisis depends on the type, timing, and interpretation of the event, the person's life cycle development phase, history of healthy coping, and available timely support. In sum, the book's central theme is crisis as both danger and opportunity.
