does it really take a crisis in someone's life in order for them to change? What do you suppose is the 'tipping point' at which we find ourselves ready to confront one thing or another

The "devil we know" is easier to face than the "devil we don't know." We know the parameters of our current situation, but do not know them for many changes. Often we do not have experiences with new behaviors to form adequate expectations.

The "tipping point" will vary from individual to individual and situation to situation. The crisis has to be extreme enough that the individual decides that the other option(s) cannot be worse than the present situation. Having social, emotional, physical and financial resources available to aid in the change makes a great difference.

I hope this helps.