How to Deal with "Checking Out" During a Crisis

How to deal with someone who shuts down when the goings gets rough.

When the stuff hits the fan, people respond in a few ways. A rare few rise to the occasion. Many panic. However, there are some people who just check out entirely. It’s as if their brain says, “Nope, sorry, not dealing with this. I’m turning off the lights and taking a nap. Wake me up when it’s over.”

Photo by Mason Kimbarovsky on Unsplash

Dealing with the checked-out can be frustrating, especially if you tend to panic. Yelling at them does nothing. They seem not to care, no matter how much you emphasize the urgency of the moment.

There are a few potential clinical causes of this behavior, such as a freeze-stress response and disassociating. The good news is that these techniques will work with either method, and they’ll often work with someone who is panicking.