Managing Crisis Issues - Essay Example

Any crisis is stressful and the ability to cope with it is even more taxing if it is sudden. I have had the misfortune of being involved in one suchsituational crisis- the deadliest natural disaster in the US history - the Hurricane Katrina. There was no forewarning of the intensity of the flood waters and the inundation; of the inaccessible roads and the long-lasting effect that it would leave. My family is from New Orleans and while my twin sister and I had moved out, my parents and a sister still lived there. Fortunately, they managed to evacuate in time but lost everything in the floods. Although 80 percent of the residents were evacuated, this disaster left a severe impact on a large segment of the population, on economy and politics of the nation. The Systems Theory developed by Ludwig Von Bertalanffy helps understand the dynamics of this crisis. During this crisis of the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina, independently, each unit or division was not enough for the simple reason that all units are interdependent; as a whole the unit has to work. Knowledge was fragmented, and there was no system established to collect and deliver all the information at one place. The officials were caught in a web of information and there was no proper channel to disseminate and distribute information to enhance the rescue operations. Even when people were stranded for two days, the officials were not aware they had gone without food. Every human being passes through maturational crisis at some point in life. My twin sister and I were so close that separation was unthinkable. It was as if we were one soul housed in two different bodies. It came as a rude shock when we were separated in the fifth grade and were forced to attend class in different sections. This affected not just our moods but it reflected in our grades as well. I vividly remember how I waited for the lunch break and felt sad when the bell rang for class again. When we were together time just flew away. We used to panic if for some reason we were forced to spend the evenings separately. It was unthinkable at that age that we could ever live away from each other. We were together again during college and shared the same apartment. It was once again a traumatic experience to have her leave the apartment to live with her boyfriend first and eventually get married. Even though we were older but the trauma of separation remained the same. It gradually dawned that one has to accept certain situations in life. I had to console myself that she was happy and leading a fulfilling life. Even though we now live in different states, we just have talk to each other every single day. We still panic the moment we hear of the other being unwell or in trouble. We still share moments of joy and sadness but the separation has left an indelible impression on my mind. Another traumatic experience that I had was when I used to visit my cousin working at an abortion clinic. I was quite young at that time and the word ‘abortion’ itself sent shivers to the body. This was the most significant existential crisis in my life. My visits were just to spend time with my cousin but the pro-lifers who came there thought I was there to get a procedure. I was shocked to say the least when I came to know of this. I initially tried to ignore the gossip and allegations but gradually realized the severity of the situation. I realized the pro-lifers meant business when they decided to burn the clinic down if I were treated. I decided to stop visiting the clinic as this would put my cousin in trouble as well. Soon after I stopped visiting the clinic, I came to know that they had actually carried out the threat and burnt the clinic down. It was very stressful for me especially because I held myself responsible for this situation. I felt guilty even though I was innocent in the true sense. For quite some time, I remained withdrawn. I tried sharing my feelings with others but the trauma lasted at least a year. Gradually, reading a lot of books, discussing the experience with others helped me to get over it. I have resolved this and do not carry the guilt any more. Nevertheless, it was a nasty experience. The most challenging crisis in my life has been situational crisis - the Hurricane Katrina. I guess it was the most challenging for two reasons – first, because I was not physically present at the scene. What haunted me was that I was unable to stand by parents at this time of crisis. Secondly, was the feeling of helplessness. I realized how helpless one can feel especially when it concerns our near and dear ones. I also realized the stress and agony that comes with helplessness. Communications were disrupted. For two weeks we had no information. I just about knew that the family was safe but apart from there was no means of communication as no phones were working. That added to the panic and stress. Eventually I could manage to meet my family on the Labor Day weekend. Seeing them in that condition only added to the stress but at least we knew we could now decide what steps to take. I am not sure whether I could handle it differently the next time because a situational crisis of this nature and magnitude is beyond the capacity and comprehension of human beings. As the System Theory suggests, the whole is more than the sum of its parts, and in such crises human element is involved along with the interrelationship of the system with other systems. Unpredictability is yet another nature of situational crisis and hence, there is nothing I could do or assume can do in future also unless the government machinery improves. Read More