A mental health crisis can be nerve wracking especially to those who may not know what to do or what steps to take. Crises can look different to each individual. What can be a crisis to one person may not be the same to another person. However, recognizing when you or another person are in a crisis is imperative in order to help yourself or even another individual return to a calmer state of mind and to feel safe again. How you help an individual can impact on how they recover.
Responding to a Crisis
Responding to a crisis can be stressful as you are in a pressurized state of mind to have the right words and message to assist another individual or even yourself. When a crisis occurs, it has to be dealt with immediately and is the priority at that moment.
If you know that someone is experiencing a mental health crisis, it is important for you to be present for them and to refrain from any judgmental comments. Let them know that you are there for them to listen and help them in order to support them in the best way you can.
If they are experiencing emotion distress that appears to be uncontrollable, help them to do a visualization activity or breathing activity to return them to a calmer state. Here is a visualization technique you can use for yourself or for others.
When They Return to a Calmer State of Mind…
When they are calm, allow them to talk about what is troubling them and validate how they are feeling.
You can support them in returning back to their daily routine while also encouraging them to seek treatment so they may continue to cope with the crisis or situation. Here you can find some teletherapy that are also affordable: BetterHelp – Help us match the right therapist for you
Pricing for Counseling, Life Coaching and Mental Health Therapists at Thriveworks – Thriveworks
How to Help Out
Offer to help them, especially, in tasks that may be more difficult at that time or next couple days to help them to take care of themselves.
It is very important to remember that what they are experiencing is unique to them even if it is not to you. Therefore, refrain from assuming you know what they are feeling or thinking and refrain from dismissing their thoughts and minimizing their experience.
It is important that the individual experiencing a crisis feels supported and not alone. However, it is also important that you avoid putting yourself in a harmful situation and also assess on if the crisis is a situation you can handle with the individual.
Safety
If you are around an individual who is experiencing an acute crisis then make sure to remove any harmful items that they could use for themselves and towards others such as, medications, drugs, sharp objects, belts, ropes, firearms etc.
It is imperative to keep yourself and others safe as sometimes our emotions can take the best of us and when you or others are put in an acute situation, staying safe is the most important thing.
If the individual is having an acute crisis then you may need to seek help and help them to contact their appropriate provider. Those experiencing acute crisis can become dangerous to themselves and others and therefore, need to be assisted with emergency services. It is important that you or others stay with the person experiencing a crisis until appropriate help is available.
Responding to a mental health crisis is stressful, nerve wracking and at times scary. Knowing what to do or what to say can be a challenge especially when you may have not done this before. Staying empathetic and grounded is imperative and can make all the difference to someone experiencing a crisis.
