An acute physical and/or emotional event during treatment that threatens progress and increases relapse risk is called what?

• A. Crisis Intervention
• B. Crisis
• C. Setback
• D. Emergency

Answer: (B)

A crisis is an abrupt, destabilizing event that overwhelms a person’s coping resources, halts progress in treatment, and heightens the risk of relapse. This moment requires timely support to restore balance and safety, because the acute stress can push someone back toward old patterns if not addressed promptly.

Think of a crisis as the specific incident or episode—like a sudden loss, a traumatic trigger, a major health scare, or a severe family conflict—that disrupts functioning and treatment gains. This differs from a setback, which is more of a general stumble or temporary slip in progress without necessarily an immediate, overwhelming event. It also differs from crisis intervention, which is the responsive work done to manage the crisis itself, and from an emergency, which implies life-threatening danger requiring urgent outside action.