How can a person know when they are in a mental health crisis? This article will shed some light on what people go through when they have unresolved mental health issues and where to get help during emergencies like these.
What is a mental health crisis?
A mental health crisis is when a person feels helpless. It may mean that they think that they are unable to cope with how they feel in a particular situation. Some people report feeling the loss of control over the situation and experiencing the feeling of intense helplessness.
Many patients who have a mental health crisis have recurring thoughts of suicide or self-harm because of the extreme anxiety and emotional distress they feel. Some people also report hearing voices to tell them to kill or harm themselves.
These symptoms may also be the result of an underlying mental illness that the person is already suffering from. The mental health crisis may spring from delusions that are caused by infections to more serious mental health conditions such as dementia. If the person is an alcoholic or is addicted to drugs, the crisis may also be caused by those lifestyle choices.
What a person can do
The first step to getting help for a mental health crisis is knowing how to identify one. Usually, people who have already gone in for treatment for mental health issues in the past will already know how to identify a crisis. However, if it is the first time, they may not be aware of what to do.
When feelings of intense loneliness, helplessness or anxiety kick in, this is a sign of a mental health crisis. A person should visit their local medical center, urgent care center or hospital when they get these emotional triggers. These medical facilities will have mental health professionals that are ready to help people with their mental health issues.
During the first visit for a crisis, it is a good idea to take note of the hotline number that should be called in the event of another emergency. Ask for help from the health professional on how to plan for a mental health crisis and how to identify when it is happening, being better read for it next time.
Where to get help
Usually, the first people to help a person in a mental health crisis are the family members or loved ones who live in the same house as the person. If the crisis has happened before, these people will have already been instructed by a medical professional on how to properly handle these types of situations.
However, the real problem lies if these people live alone. If they do not have any loved ones or family members nearby to assist them when a mental health crisis strikes, they will have to handle the situation on their own.
If they had already been given the hotline number in the past, they should call that number on the onset of the mental health crisis. Some medical professionals can help people who are having a mental health crisis get over their situation.
