Do you feel like you might be losing your mental footing? Are your emotions suddenly too heavy to carry? No matter what’s causing your distress, these mental health crisis intervention steps can help you stay grounded until you get support.
How to Handle a Mental Health Emergency
First, recognize that you’re not alone. Many people experience a sudden downturn in mental health. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
Here are six steps to take right away if you find yourself in the throes of a mental health crisis:
- Pause and breathe: Whatever you’re doing, stop. Close your eyes and take slow, deep breaths. Try to slow your racing thoughts with a technique called grounding. This is when you pull your attention back to the present by focusing on something simple and concrete, like the feel of your feet on the floor, the texture of an object in your hand, or the rhythm of your heartbeat. Calming down helps your brain catch up to your feelings.
- Create a safe space around you: Remove anything that might raise your stress or put you at risk. This might include sharp objects, alcohol, medication, or chaotic clutter. Clear the room if you can, or step out for a moment if that’s easier. The goal is to make your surroundings calm and stabilizing.
- Tell someone you trust: Call up a friend, family member, or neighbor—someone who will listen without judgment. Sharing what you’re going through can help you feel less isolated.
- Try a calming tool or coping strategy: Simple acts like doing a short breathing exercise, going for a walk, writing down your feelings, or listening to relaxing music can slow the spiral.
- Reach out for help: If you still feel overwhelmed or have thoughts of harming yourself or others, rest assured that there are mental health crisis support and resources available. Call or text the 24/7 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or go to your nearest Mindwell Urgent Care.
- Plan for follow-up care: Once the immediate crisis subsides, consider reaching out to a mental health professional. Ongoing therapy, medication, and regular check-ins may be just what you need to regain long-term stability.
Signs of a Mental Health Crisis and What To Do
Perhaps you’re not the one in crisis. You might notice a friend, partner, sibling, or parent acting differently and wonder whether you should help. Here are common signs to watch for and what to do if someone is in a mental health crisis.
Possible signs of a crisis:
- Sudden or drastic changes in mood or behavior. Someone might go from okay to deeply sad, anxious, or angry seemingly out of nowhere.
- Withdrawal from friends, family, or activities they once enjoyed. They may isolate themselves or stop responding to calls and texts.
- Declining performance at work or school.
- Talking about hopelessness, feeling worthless, or expressing thoughts of death or self-harm.
- Reckless behavior, substance abuse, or inability to concentrate.
- Disrupted sleep, which may present as insomnia or oversleeping.
- Changes in eating patterns, which may include loss of appetite or overeating.
- Heightened irritability, agitation, confusion, or difficulty making decisions.
How to de-escalate a mental health crisis if you observe these signs in someone you care about:
- Approach the subject gently and calmly. Let them know you care. Listen without judgment, pressure, or argument. Just be present and let them talk.
- Create a safe environment. Remove or lock away anything that could be used for self-harm, including medications or sharp objects.
- Take any talk of suicide or self-harm seriously. If you’re not sure how to help, don’t hesitate to call 911 or encourage them to call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
- Offer to help them find mental health crisis support and resources. Suggest that they talk with a mental health professional. Offer to help them find one or go with them to an appointment if they feel up to it.
- Be there for them in the future. Averting a mental health crisis isn’t one-and-done. Keep checking in, listening, and helping them reconnect with a stable routine and support system.
Reach Out for Help Now
The next time you or a loved one faces a mental health emergency, Mindwell Urgent Care is here to help. We offer patient-centered, individualized care with urgent mental health appointments available without the long wait associated with traditional services. We accept insurance or self-pay and provide a safe, supportive environment for mental health crisis intervention. If you’re in Dallas, TX, consider in-person visits at our office. We also offer telepsychiatric virtual visits in Texas, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Florida, and Kansas. Contact us today to schedule an evaluation and begin your personalized mental health care plan.