Evaluate The Situation

What is the nature of your crisis? Is it something that requires treatment urgently?

If you have developed a plan to kill yourself, that's an immediate mental health crisis and you should go to a hospital emergency room or call 911.

If you're not sure if it's urgent, ask yourself if you have already thought about what method you would use. If you've thought about where, how or when you would take your life, that means you've begun developing a plan.

If you're still hesitating, ask a friend or family member to stay with you while you may be at risk. Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 as soon as possible. They have trained counselors available to speak with you 24/7 and assist in a crisis situation.

And get in touch with your mental health professionals. Tell professionals and the people around you what's going on and get their advice. You don’t need to be sworn to secrecy.

Avoiding A Crisis

If you live with a mental health condition, it's important to plan ahead. Talk with your treatment team can think about where to go for intensive treatment and how to get there, how to take time off work or explain your absence to others, and what methods you can use to calm yourself in an emergency.

Above all, you and those closest to you should know how to reach your mental health professionals in case of an emergency. It's also valuable to know the phone number of a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), if your area has one.

CIT officers are police officers trained to handle crisis situations involving mental illness.

If your health condition has grown worse recently, but you are not having thoughts of suicide, it could mean that you need to seek help or make changes to your treatment plan if you are already receiving treatment.