Recognizing a Mental Health Crisis: What Everyone Should Know
Mental health challenges don’t always come with clear warning signs. But when someone is in crisis, recognizing the signals and knowing how to respond can make all the difference. Whether it’s a friend, colleague, or loved one, your awareness and compassion could be a lifeline.
What Is a Mental Health Crisis?
A mental health crisis is any situation in which a person’s behavior puts them at risk of hurting themselves or others or prevents them from being able to care for themselves or function effectively. Crises can be triggered by trauma, loss, overwhelming stress, or a worsening mental health condition.
Common Warning Signs
While every individual is different, here are some red flags that may indicate someone is in crisis:
- Rapid mood swings, intense anger, or deep sadness
- Inability to perform daily tasks (e.g., bathing, getting dressed)
- Increased agitation or risk-taking behavior
- Changes in sleep or eating patterns
- Withdrawal from work, school, family, and friends
- Loss of touch with reality or paranoia
- Expressions of hopelessness or feeling like a burden
- Talking about death, dying, or suicide
Support for Loved Ones
If you’re concerned about someone, ask open-ended questions:
- “What things help you to reduce stress?”
- “Tell me a bit about how you have been sleeping lately.”
- “What feels overwhelming right now?”
- “What thoughts have you been having about hurting yourself?”
Encourage them to seek help and offer to accompany them if needed. Sometimes, just knowing someone cares can be the first step toward recovery.
What to Do If Your Loved One is Having a Mental Health Crisis
- Assess the Situation
Ask yourself:
- Is the person in immediate danger of harming themselves or others?
- Are they able to make safe decisions?
- Do you need emergency assistance?
- Act
- If the situation is life-threatening, call 911 and request a crisis-trained responder.
- If not immediately dangerous, take the person to the nearest emergency room or contact a local crisis response team.
- In Pennsylvania, you can call 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which connects you to trained counselors 24/7.
- St. Luke’s Penn Foundation also offers trained crisis workers daily from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM to provide supportive problem-solving strategies. To speak with a crisis worker, call 215-257-6551.
Planning: Crisis Preparedness
Even with strong support systems, anyone can experience a mental health crisis. That’s why it’s important to prepare in advance:
- Create a personal crisis plan: Include emergency contacts, preferred providers, medications, and coping strategies.
- Establish a relationship with a primary care provider (PCP): They can be a critical support during emotional or physical health crises.
- Make a coping kit: What are some things that are comforting to you and help to regulate your emotional distress? A play list of soft music, aroma therapy oils, and a soft blanket are just a few things that may be useful to keep on hand.
Mental health crises can feel overwhelming — both for the person experiencing them and for those who care. But by learning to recognize the warning signs and responding with empathy, we become part of the solution. You don’t need to have all the answers; you just need to be present, listen, and help guide someone toward the support they need.
Let’s continue to break the stigma, build awareness, and remind each other: it’s okay to not be okay — and that hope, recovery, and wellness are within reach.