So, this image was presented without context, which is important and might make people with lIved experience feel a little less WTF about it. As always, context is important. https://twitter.com/theradr/status/1331373964426440704

A quick review of the literature takes us back to the Stress Continuum Model developed by the US Marine Corps. Then that was adapted and used for a guide/framework for stress in EMT/firefighters. This particular image is pulled from a site geared toward COVID frontline workers.

In short: this was likely not meant to be generalized to the larger population. Each of these smaller communities has very specific and unique stressors that they encounter regularly that the general public does not—

combat, burning buildings, thousands of people dying from a disease we know little about, as examples.

Without that context, and without information on the framework which, itself, is fine ( ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ ), I guess—just as filled with surveillance as all the standard crisis intervention trainings but has follow up built in—the meaning is completely lost, &

...people who have experienced trauma, PTSD, suicidality, etc., look at it and feel frustration. When I looked at that, I was like, “Oh, well, I guess I’m just in crisis forever.” And I’m not.

Just more of the same sort of half-assed mental health awareness messaging that is misleading and not super helpful.

The framework attached to this model is about how best to support a coworker (firefighter, Marine, frontline healthcare). The image shows us when one of those folks, again with specific stressors, might appear to be “in crisis.”

But again, taken without context, anyone could potentially decide another person is in crisis and move to “help,” which often involves systems that do harm (LE, medical) without consent. Which sucks, and is harmful.

It would be great if people were more willing to think about crisis from the perspective of the people experiencing it and what they might need in moments of crisis—giving them agency by asking what they need!—rather than forever treating them like people who...

... can’t (or *shouldn’t* because OBVIOUSLY they’re too sick or whatever) make decisions of their own. People—even the ones in crisis—don’t need to be acted upon, they need to be supported. Bleh.