Do you have people? Do you have a person? Who do you call when you are at your lowest? What do you need right now?
All questions you would hear if you’ve ever had a mental health emergency. If you have experienced these sorts of things before (panic attacks, suicidal idealization, manic episodes), you might be able to detect the onset of another one. What do you do to try to prevent it?
We hear a lot of talk about having a disaster plan during hurricane season. Chances are you’ve mapped out exits, and coordinated rendezvous point for your family. Have you done this for yourself in the event of a mental health emergency? This month, PAUSE; wants you to focus on establishing a plan. We are going to talk about the components of that plan in the coming weeks.
The first thing you must do when a disaster occurs, is assess the situation. Same thing goes for a mental health emergency.
Ask yourself:
- What am I feeling? How long? Have I felt this way before?
- How deep/ serious are my symptoms? Am I thinking about suicide?
- What could be the cause of these feelings? How did I get here?
- Is there anything I can do on my own to lessen these feelings?
These questions, especially the last one, should confirm whether or not you are dealing with a mental health emergency, or if you need to take the time to address an issue with your mental health and make some adjustments.
If you deem your are in the midst of a mental health emergency, ACT NOW! Reach out! Call your doctor, be they medical or a therapist. In the midst of a mental health emergency, you need only make two phone calls. 1.) To your doctor or medical professional to make an appointment, and 2.) To your person. Whomever that might be. That is the person that can ensure that you get to the doctor safely. It would be great to have them accompany you and if the doctor allows, have them sit in on the appointment and get a professional’s advice on how to best support you in this situation.
If you don’t have a doctor, find one NOW! We have a few here on our Resources page. Look into your company’s Employee Assistance Program. They can connect you with a network of doctors and other professionals that are covered by your insurance. Most of the Employee Assistance Programs offer a few free sessions, and will usually follow-up with you regarding your care and assist you further if needed. Do not put this part of your process off. It can be vital to the prevention of a mental health emergency and that is always the best thing to do, prevent one, rather than manage one.
It can be difficult to manage your plan during a crisis. Depending on the type, you might find it hard communicate everything that is going on with you. Chances are your energy and tolerance levels are extremely low. It always best to try to communicate what is going on when you are able to do so effectively. We can’t stress the importance of your plan enough for this very reason.
You Mental Health Disaster Plan should include the following:
- A list of Core People. This list should include those that know what your diagnosis/ issue is, are familiar with your needs during a crisis, and are willing to be there even when others might see it as an inconvenience.
- Access to A Mental Health and Medical Professional. This should be your regular therapist, your psychiatrist (if you have one) and your primary care physician.
- A List of your Why?. What keeps you fighting? Why do you NEED to stay mentally healthy? Who is depending on you? YOU can be the only thing on this list, but you MUST be on it. This is not a list of long or short-term goals, but why you want to stay healthy. For instance, a mother’s Why? most often will be her children. “I don’t ever want my kids to see me quit.”
- A list of Goals. This list is to put things into perspective. We have a lot to accomplish and we can only do that when we are mentally healthy. Put this list in order of difficulty to accomplish.
- A list of your How?. Make a list of things that encourage a healthy mental state. It should include, fun activities to do with others, physical activities, spiritual connection, support groups, meditation, and anything that elevates your mind.
We will explore each part of your plan in-depth in the coming days and weeks. By the end of this month, the goal is to establish a working plan to Engage/ Activate Your Core and repair and maintain your Mental Stability.
