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Safety Seeking BehavioursConceptualizing a person’s reaction to the experience of cognitive confusionNewcastle General Hospitalianjamesncht{at}yahoo.com
Newcastle General Hospital People react to threatening situations by employing behaviours that they perceive will help them to cope with the difficulties confronting them. In cognitive therapy (CT), these behaviours, which can be either physical or mental activities, are termed ‘safety-seeking behaviours’. This article discusses the use of such behaviours by people with cognitive confusion. It suggests that the employment of safety behaviours may have a major impact on the presentation of the person. Indeed, in some situations the behaviour may either mimic the effects of cognitive impairment or exacerbate the impact of the person’s cognitive difficulties. Further, it is observed that the onset of dementia is likely both to lead to the emergence of safety behaviours, and reinforce any coping strategies used by the person in the past. Hence, this article suggests that clinicians and staff should pay particular care when developing both their conceptualizations and care plans in order to ensure that they have an appreciation of the forms of safety seeking behaviours the confused person may be using.
Key Words: cognitive therapy • conceptualization • confusion • safety seeking behaviours
Dementia, Vol. 1, No. 1,
37-45 (2002) |
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