What Can I Do During a Mental Health Crisis?

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What is a mental health crisis?

You feel like a massive disconnect from reality. You don’t feel like you’re a part of the world anymore. Everything feels too much, too intense, too fast. You feel like you can’t go on anymore, like you are stuck in a narrow tunnel that keeps getting smaller, or you are drowning and cannot come up for air. 

A mental health crisis, sometimes called a mental health breakdown, a nervous breakdown, or a breakdown, is when a person experiences acute mental health symptoms that trigger thoughts or urges to hurt themselves or others. Their emotions may be so erratic or heightened that they feel they have lost control. This mental health crisis may be brought on by a stressful or traumatic event such as the loss of a job, a breakup, or a death, but it does not always have to have a trigger. The person does not necessarily have to be diagnosed with a pre-existing mental health condition to experience a mental health breakdown; in other words, anyone is at risk of experiencing a mental health crisis.

What are the warning signs of a mental health crisis?

Before a crisis occurs, there may be some warning signs:

• Unable to keep up with basic tasks such as house chores, paying bills, grocery shopping, taking care of the kids, etc.  

• Unable to maintain proper hygiene, such as not showering, brushing teeth, and wearing the same clothes.  

• Depression 

• Rapid mood swings 

• Difficulty staying still or concentrating; always on the move 

• Becoming easily irritated or annoyed  

• Showing harmful behavior toward themselves or others, including substance misuse or self-harm 

• Withdrawing from school, work, family, or friends 

• Experiencing psychosis, a loss of touch with reality where they may seem confused, have strange ideas, or hear or see things that are not there.  

• Having paranoid thoughts or behaviors 

Seeking immediate professional treatment for a mental health breakdown

A mental health crisis is severe because it can lead to self-harm behaviors, suicide, or harming others. This can be extremely terrifying for the person experiencing it, as they may feel out of control or have an “out of body” experience. This is also terrifying for loved ones involved because they may not know what to do in this scenario. If your loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis and you are concerned they may harm themselves or others, it is important to seek immediate help. This can include contacting a mental health crisis community hotline or a mental health provider or taking them to the nearest hospital. 

Other emergency resources include the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or the local mental health crisis intervention team (CIT).  If you cannot access help with any of the above, call 911, but be sure to mention that this is a mental health crisis and request that officers experienced in crisis intervention and mental health be dispatched. You want to try to avoid calling 911 and only use this resource as a last resort. Stay with your loved ones and support them ( as long as your safety is not at risk) until the appropriate help is available.

Helping your loved one in a non-life-threatening mental health crisis

If your loved one is having a mental health breakdown but is not showing any signs of harming themselves or others, there are steps you can take to support them during this crisis.

Create a safe and supportive environment

The first step to creating a safe environment is removing anything that is unsafe, meaning discarding any sharp objects, medications, firearms, drugs, harmful chemicals, and alcohol. Even if you do not suspect imminent self-harm or danger, it is always smart to take these precautions. A safe environment not only means a space absent of danger but a quiet, calm, and welcoming space. Sunny corners to relax in, consistent healthy meals, warm baths, and a dark and peaceful place to sleep are examples of creating a safe physical space for your loved one. 

Safe emotional spaces and environments are just as important as the physical. A safe emotional environment means non-judgmental conversations with open dialogue, no-name calling or shaming, healthy boundaries, and healthy conflict resolution. This goes both ways for both yourself and your loved one. Sometimes, a person having a mental health crisis can lash out and take advantage of healthy boundaries. Providing loving support and being assertive regarding what you will tolerate is essential.

Offer a listening ear and support

If you are unsure how to talk to your loved one about how they are feeling, start with open-ended questions such as “How are you feeling?” ” How can I best help you?” “Is there anything I can do for you?” “Do you want to go for lunch or a walk?”  

Offer to take responsibilities off their shoulders by offering to do laundry, walk the dog, a couple hours of childcare, or run errands. Sometimes, you have to actively help, which means getting your hands dirty and taking initiative instead of asking if they need help.  

Offering support doesn’t mean giving them advice, pretending you are their therapist, or assuming you understand what they are going through. Even if you have experienced a mental health crisis yourself, this is their experience. It is important to avoid being overly optimistic. Do not pressure them into following your recommendations, and avoid gaslighting, shaming, blaming, or name-calling.

Encourage professional mental health treatment

A person experiencing a mental health crisis can benefit from seeing a mental health professional, regardless if they have a history of a mental health disorder. Even if the mental health professional does not diagnose them with a mental health disorder, and this is a “one-off” mental health crisis, therapy can still be a good foundation to learn healthy coping skills, understand the triggers associated with this episode and adopt lifestyle habits to prevent a future crisis. 

A therapist may suggest medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, other techniques, support groups, or a combination. You can offer to help find a list of therapists, drive them to therapy appointments, attend support groups with them, or do anything else that helps them facilitate attending therapy. 

It is important to understand that therapy should be their choice; if they are not ready to go to therapy or do not want to attend therapy, you cannot force them and should not push them. Do not reach out to a therapist without their consent. This also holds true for their social support groups; do not contact friends and other loved ones about their experience without their consent.

Repeat and stay present, even when the mental health crisis is “over.” 

Even when the coast seems clear, and your loved one is back to living a healthy life, it is important to continue supporting them, encouraging treatment, and keeping an open dialogue about warning signs and symptoms, triggers, and overall well-being.

What if your loved one doesn’t want your help?

Sometimes, during a mental health crisis, your loved one may not want your help, they may be in denial, and their symptoms may be preventing them from understanding the reality of the situation. If you believe they are a danger to themselves or others, use the resources mentioned above to seek emergency professional help. If you do not believe they are a danger to themselves or others, it is important to respect their boundaries and decisions but continue to be there for them in any way that you can in hopes they may turn the corner. Often, they do not know where to start when it comes time to seek help and support. 

AKUA Mind and Body can help you and your loved one work through your mental health crisis.