Seeing this is one of my first few posts and I do not know what kind of audience I will be attracting as of yet, I want to be on the safe side and introduce a crisis plan, just in case some of my followers are actually going through some really rough times.
I was only recently given one by my university mental health team, because I have one episode where I attempted to overdose (we will get to that on the next posts) so they thought it would be a good idea to create one, and I must say I totally agree! I am only surprised my GP did not think to tell me about this.
I asked you on my social media " if you were to have a mental health crisis, would you know which steps to take? or who to address?"
Your responses were:
46% said YES whilst 54% NO
Seeing more than half said no, I find it really worrying and double enhances the need for me to introduce this to you all.
Before I proceed I just want to highlight that you can go to my page to find emergency contact numbers. If you need it as of now, please click here
However, if you have taken an overdose or seriously harmed yourself please call 999 or go to the nearest A&E. You can find your nearest here
So what is a crisis plan?
"A crisis plan is sometimes called a safety plan. You should make a plan before you are in crisis, but it is never too late to start. The aim of a crisis plan is to think about what support you need when you are in crisis. You could make a list of things that you could do to help yourself. You can write down the names and numbers of people who would be able to help you. You may find it helpful to include the good things in your life or things that you are looking forward to as part of the plan." (Rethink Mental Illness, 2016).
Thinking back to the day where I had my crisis, I felt so lost, useless and worthless that I tried to reach out to a particular person to help me but I ended up getting no help in return which broke me even more.
Saying this, it's good to plan ahead to avoid these situations from happening or if they do happen, you know exactly who to phone, who can help you, what to do, you won't feel lost, you have a plan in front of you of steps that can help you seek the support you need. So please, please do it! I encourage you to read this post and make your own crisis plan while you can "think straight" of who are actually good support systems, instead of reaching a low point and contacting people who are not able to help you in the way you need, which can ultimately make you feel worse.
I have created mine using a few tips based on the crisis plans I have attached. I hope to never get to the point where I will have a crisis again but if I do, at least I know I have a plan in place!
So why not take a few moments to sit down and think about what it is that helps you. Once you have reflected on this, you can used the forms I have attached or create your own. You will see 3 different templates you can choose from.
-Keep it somewhere safe and where you can easily reach at a time of need. And remember, stay positive!
To open and print these images, just:
"Right click".
Select "open imagine in a new tab".
When opening in your web browser it will give you the option to zoom in- Do zoom in! So when you print it, it will come out in an A4 format.
On your default browser settings you can choose to print the imagine.
If you prefer to have these emailed to you, please do not hesitate to email me and I will be more than happy to forward it to you!
Email me at: mentalhealthspace@hotmail.com
Or, follow the link and fill in the contact form: https://mentalhealthspace.wixsite.com/blog/get-involved
References:
Rethink Mental Illness (2016). Available at: https://www.rethink.org/diagnosis-treatment/symptoms/suicidal-thoughts/crisis-plan (Accessed: 29 January 2019)
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