Catastrophic Reaction is the reaction a person experiences after becoming over-loaded. A catastrophic reaction may be a verbal outburst, throwing an item, or simply shutting down and "flooding". Flooding is when a person is unable to take in new information because they have mentally and emotionally shut down.
When an individual is in the midst of a catastrophic reaction, all problem solving skills have shut down and nothing you say will truly connect with him or her. You could inform him that he just won the lottery and it would not matter because he needs to calm down first before he can process new information.
Perseveration is when a person obsessively thinks about something to the extent that he or she is unable to think much of anything else.
Often a person with a brain injury will perseverate on a problem or something that is important to him or her. When the same thought continues to run through a person’s mind for an extended period of time it appears to become extremely important to him or her. When he or she is given an additional stressor (small or large) the person will often have a catastrophic reaction. When in the midst of the catastrophic reaction, he or she will see that problem as encompassing everything. It is all that he or she can see, and as a result, everything in the world is horrible in that moment. Typically, the reaction is far greater than the actual problem would ever warrant.
Normally a he or she will eventually calm down. For example, we had an individual who quit brain injury rehab at least once a week when he was faced with a challenging task. He would get angry and tell everyone how "stupid" he thinks cognitive therapy is and would storm out the door stating "I’m done! I’m not coming back!" Often there were other choice words involved before he left the premises. However, after calming down his problem solving skills would return and he would regain a more balanced view of the world. Invariably within two hours he would call to apologize and would return the next day.
It is important to understand that you should remain calm when a person is in the midst of a catastrophic reaction---this too shall pass. If you get angry or upset, he or she will become more angry or upset and it will take longer for him or her to calm down. Ideally, you want to be able to notice when a person is becoming angry or upset and try to help him with problem solving the situation as well as advising him to use relaxation techniques. Sometimes suggesting a short walk outside or on the treadmill may be beneficial if a person is showing signs of becoming angry.
If you click on the link below you will see a model that explains catastrophic reaction as well as successful adaptation and coping skills. (NOTE: CT Interventions is short for Community Transitions Interventions).
Click Here to See the Catastrophic Reaction Model
