Mental Health Disaster Plan Part 1: PEOPLE
Your list of people is the most important part of this plan. A good support system is vital to maintaining mental stability, preventing a mental health crisis, and even more important to your recovery from one. Before you start jotting names down on a list, let’s give this some thought.
First, when you are in a depressed or anxious state, what do you need? Understand that you can need different things at different times, in the midst of one crisis or another. Determining what you need might require assessing where or how you are during a bought with depression or anxiety.
Answer a few of these questions: (There are a lot, but the more you answer the more information you are armed with when making decisions about your plan.)
- Am I in a state of panic? Do I panic?
- How has or will my behavior change during a state of depression or heightened anxiety?
- How “dark” can my thoughts get?
- Do I have suicidal thoughts? How far do those thoughts go?
- Have I ever, or could I become volatile or violent?
- Do I become reclusive? Am I willing to talk about what I am going through or do I shut down?
- Am I open or transparent about my emotions outside of a crisis?
- On average, how often do I go through a mental health crisis? When was my last one?
- Do I become self consumed?
- Do I look for distractions or have a tendency to avoid addressing my own issues and needs?
- Am I comfortable with other people in my presence during a crisis or do I prefer to be alone?
That was a lot to think about I’m sure. Your answers to these questions will help you determine who you are in the midst of a crisis. The person or people you choose as a part of your plan, will need to be aware of all these things. Were you able to answer the majority of these questions? You should feel empowered. Knowing who you are before, during, and after a mental health crisis is the first step to controlling your episodes and preventing them. BE PROUD!
We will explore answers to these questions and what they mean in the next few posts.
