Crisis Intervention of Suicide Cults

Crisis Intervention of Mass Suicides:

Crisis Intervention of Mass Suicides Crisis Intervention By: Jason Dean

Mass Suicide :

Mass Suicide What is M ass Suicide? Mass Suicide is occurs when a number of people kill themselves together for the same reason . Common Reasons for Mass Suicide: Religion Political Reasons Avoid Captivity

Prevention of Mass Suicides:

Prevention of Mass Suicides Early prevention for suspected cult l eaders and members Know the warning s igns of cults and suicides Advise family of cult members to support groups Know the legal aspects of suicide prevention in your area

Prevention of Mass Suicides:

Prevention of Mass Suicides Look to the Leadership Leaders of mass suicide groups have any or a combination of the following psychological disorders or characteristics: Neurotic Psychotic on a spectrum exhibiting neurotic Sociopathic P sychotic characteristics S uffering from a diagnosed personality disorder .

Prevention of Mass Suicides:

Prevention of Mass Suicides Remind people of the rights they have which no person or group has the right to take away: the right to question the right to doubt the right to move about freely the right to define for yourself if you are inherently good or bad the right to formulate your own life’s goals the right to decide with whom to spend time the right to assert your own power in every situation Courtesy of www.cultclinic.org

Introduction:

Introduction Heaven's Gate was an American UFO religion based in San Diego, California, founded and led by Marshall Applewhite (1931–1997) and Bonnie Nettles (1928–1985 ). On March 26, 1997, in a period during the Hale-Bopp Comet passing the earth police discovered the bodies of 39 members ( Including the body of leader Marshall Applewhite.) The group had committed suicide in order to reach an Alien aircraft which was supposedly following the comet.

Heaven’s Gate Timeline:

Heaven’s Gate Timeline

The Leaders :

The Leaders Bonnie Lu Nettles Marshall Herff Applewhite

Mental Illness of Applewhite:

Mental Illness of Applewhite Schizophrenia a psychotic disorder characterized by loss of contact with the environment, by noticeable deterioration in the level of functioning in everyday life. Ego-dystonic sexual orientation is the gender identity or sexual is not in doubt, but the individual wishes it were different because of associated psychological and behavioral disorders.

Mental Illness of Applewhite:

Mental Illness of Applewhite Dr.Louis Jolyon West, professor of psychiatry at the University of California at Los Angeles. Dr. West concluded that the tapes demonstrated Applewhite was "delusional, sexually repressed and suffering from clinical paranoia." Everything Applewhite taught his followers was a rejection of their humanity. Perhaps by rejecting his own humanity Marshall Applewhite believed he had finally overcome his own sexual frustrations and mental illness.

DSM II :

DSM II In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) removed homosexuality as a mental disorder from the APA's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders (DSM-II). Prior to that time, homosexuality had been treated as a mental disorder under section "302. Sexual Deviations" in the DSM-II.

Mental Illness of Nettles:

Mental Illness of Nettles Delusional disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis denoting a psychotic mental disorder that is characterized by holding one or more non-bizarre delusions in the absence of any other significant psychopathology. Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, is a mood disorder that causes radical emotional changes and mood swings, from manic, restless highs to depressive, listless lows. Most bipolar individuals experience alternating episodes of mania and depression.

Mental Illness of Nettles:

Mental Illness of Nettles Mrs. Nettles knew her Bible, but she also charted the stars, summoned the dead in séances and took guidance from the voice of someone she called Brother Francis, a 19th-century monk. The reason for her divorce was Mrs. Nettles husband said that “ there are too many spirits to compete with” Bonnie Lu was know for her love of shopping, and manic personality.

Heaven’s Gate:

Heaven’s Gate

Crisis Intervention 9 Step Model:

Crisis Intervention 9 Step Model 9 Step Model (Transition Counseling) Step 1: Rapidly Establish a Constructive Relationship Step 2: Elicit and Encourage Expression of Painful Feelings and Emotions Step 3: Discuss the Precipitating Event Step 4: Assess Strengths and Needs

Crisis Intervention 9 Step Model:

Crisis Intervention 9 Step Model Step 5: Formulate a Dynamic Explanation Step 6: Restore Cognitive Functioning Step 7: Plan and Implement Treatment Step 8: Terminate Step 9: Follow-up

Cult Intervention:

Cult Intervention Cult Intervention is a voluntary and respectful process of sharing information between a cult intervention specialist and an individual (e.g. cult member). This is always done in a manner consistently within the parameters set by the law and following the ethical standards. Consultation is a general term to describe the professional practice of providing information to an individual, family or group.

Deprogramming and Exit Counseling:

Deprogramming and Exit Counseling Deprogram is to dissuade or try to dissuade from strongly held convictions (as religious beliefs) or a firmly established or innate behavior. Deprogramming providing members with information about the cult and showing them how their own decision-making power had been taken away from them Exit counseling, is an intervention designed to persuade an individual to leave a group perceived to be a cult.

Suicide Intervention :

Suicide Intervention Suicide intervention or suicide crisis intervention is direct effort to stop or prevent persons attempting or contemplating suicide from killing themselves. According to medical practice, severe suicidal ideation, that is, serious contemplation or planning of suicide, is a medical emergency and that the condition requires immediate emergency medical treatment.

Final Thoughts :

Final Thoughts Remember that this is a multi facet crisis intervention. This Intervention will include cult member and the psychological needs of family members. Each Intervention will need to be looked at from a “one on one” basis, not any particular step model or theory will work for all crisis situations. Be prepared to contact local law enforcement if a mass suicide is planned.

References:

References The Anti-Cult Movement in America: A Bibliography and Historical Survey, AD Shupe Jr , DG Bromley, DL Olive, New York: Garland 1984 . Exit Counseling: A Family Intervention, Giambalvo , Carol: 1992. www.cultclinic.org www.medicalterms.com www.nytimes.com www.religioustolerance.org www.rickross.com www.who.int