A mental health crisis is an intensive behavioral, emotional, or psychiatric response, typically triggered by a precipitating event, which causes one’s usual coping strategies or problem-solving skills to be overwhelmed. The goal of crisis intervention is to ultimately stabilize the immediate situation, provide support and facilitate understanding.

Experiencing a mental health crisis can be overwhelming, but please know you are not alone. These deeply challenging moments might look or feel like:

• Overwhelming thoughts of not wanting to be here: Having intense feelings of wanting to escape the pain, planning to harm yourself, or taking steps to do so.

• Feeling disconnected from reality: Experiencing frightening changes in how you perceive the world, such as seeing or hearing things others cannot, or holding beliefs that feel confusing to those around you.

• Behaviors that feel out of control: Acting in ways that feel unpredictable, unsafe, or deeply distressing for you or the people who care about you.