Ever wonder what makes a critical incident so powerful?
There are two primary reasons. But before we get there, let’s define a few things.
By critical incident, we mean any situation or event that is powerful enough to overwhelm a person’s usual coping abilities and temporarily disrupt their functioning.
It is important to note that the incident itself is not the crisis.
The crisis is the state of distress the person experiences as a result of the incident.
Before the person experiences the critical incident (a tragic event, distressing situation, or devastating loss), they are what we might call “well enough.”
They are walking, talking, breathing, planning, deciding, relating, and moving through their day. This is known as functioning.
They have some sense of balance.
Some predictability.
Some stability.
Some version of “normal” — however they define normal.
Then suddenly… something happens.
Something powerful enough to disrupt that balance.
Something powerful enough to overwhelm their current coping abilities.
Something powerful enough that what was once familiar now feels unfamiliar.
What was stable now feels unstable.
What was working is no longer working.
What felt manageable now feels overwhelming.
Up feels down.
Left feels right.
Nothing makes sense in the same way it did just moments before.
The person instinctively tries to cope — but the coping strategies available to them are not enough for what just happened.
And now, they are in need of stabilizing support.
So what makes an incident powerful enough to create this kind of disruption?
For a situation or event to overwhelm coping and disrupt functioning, it typically has two characteristics:
1. The incident is personal
2. The incident is unexpected
Let’s start with personal.
There are two primary ways an incident becomes personal.
The first way is when the event directly impacts the person themselves.
In other words, this happened to me.
They experienced the incident through their senses — they saw it, heard it, smelled it, felt it, or experienced its effects physically or emotionally.
For example, imagine being involved in a car accident.
You feel your foot slam on the brake pedal.
You hear the screech of tires.
You feel the impact.
You smell the airbag deployment.
You feel the jolt move through your body.
This thing happened to you.
The incident is personal.
The second way an incident becomes personal is when it directly impacts people, places, or things the person deeply cares about.
Think of the important “nouns” we are deeply connected to:
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- People – their child, spouse, parent, friend, etc.
- Places – home, church or faith center, school, playground, etc.
- Things we value – identity, sense of safety, choices, livelihood, etc.
Using the same example, imagine receiving a phone call informing you that your teenager has been in a serious car accident and you are needed at the hospital immediately.
In that moment, time seems to stop — yet your mind races.
Nothing else matters except getting to your child.
Although the accident did not happen directly to you, the incident is still deeply personal because someone you love is involved. Their incident becomes your crisis because of your deep personal connection.
Now let’s look at the second factor: unexpected.
Humans do not like to be caught off guard. In fact, a primary job of the brain is to constantly scan the environment, identify patterns, and predict outcomes — all for the purpose of maintaining safety.
The brain prefers predictability. Predictability allows us to feel oriented and in control. When something unexpected happens — especially something threatening, tragic, or destabilizing — the brain does not have time to prepare.
There is no gradual adjustment. No warm-up period. No chance to gather resources or mentally rehearse. The event interrupts the brain’s expectation of what was supposed to happen. When the brain cannot quickly make sense of what is happening, it shifts into survival mode.
Thinking becomes more difficult.
Emotions become more intense.
The body becomes activated.
As such, the person may feel overwhelmed, confused, disoriented, anxious, or “not like themselves.”
This is not a sign of weakness.
This is the nervous system doing exactly what it is designed to do when something feels threatening or destabilizing.
When an incident is both personal and unexpected, it has the power to overwhelm coping and disrupt functioning — at least for a period of time.
And this is where stabilizing support can make a meaningful difference.
When helpers understand what makes an event powerful, they are better prepared to respond in ways that restore a sense of safety, orientation, and steadiness.
Because before a person can solve problems…
Before they can make decisions…
Before they can process meaning…
They often need help regaining their footing.
Stabilize first.
Solve later.
Want to learn how to provide MES-Stabilization to those in crisis?
Visit our basic training page or email: info@messministries.org.