Crisis Toolkit
We’re so glad you found us. When you or someone close to you goes into crisis, it can be the scariest thing to ever happen. You don’t know what to do, but it seems like someone’s life might be at stake or they might get locked up, and everyone around is getting stressed and panicked. Most people have either been there themselves or know a friend who has been there. Someone’s personality starts to make strange changes, they’re not sleeping or sleeping all day, they lose touch with the people around them, they disappear into their room for days, they have wild energy and outlandish plans, they start to dwell on suicide and hopelessness, they stop eating or taking care of themselves, or they start taking risks and being reckless. They become a different person. They’re in crisis.
This page offers an assortment of resources that may provide perspective, comfort, and/or tools that could be of assistance to people experiencing various sorts of tough times.
Here is a really useful set of ideas and strategies that’s written for folks who are dealing with a mental health crisis Navigating Crisis:
- Navigating Crisis (as a printable PDF in English)
- Online Peer Support (Fireweed Facebook group and Drop-in Support Circles – These online spaces are meant to offer each other support within an anti-oppressive and social justice framework. It also comes with its own set of problems including issues of privacy and risk of being reported. Please respect that this space is closed to providers and family members and is designed for those with lived experience only.)
NAVIGATING CRISIS
- Crisis As an Opportunity for Growth and Change – Shery Mead
- Mapping Our Madness: A Workbook for Navigating Crisis, Extreme States, or Just Foul Moods – by Momo
- Crisis Planning – Documents from Wellness Recovery Action Plan – WRAP
SUICIDES
- When it All Comes Crashing Down: Navigating Crisis – The Icarus Project
- Sometimes Wanting to Kill Yourself… (handout) -The Icarus Project
- Alternatives to Suicide – Western Mass. Recovery Learning Community
- Video on Suicide – Will Hall
- Living with suicidal feelings — Will Hall
HOTLINES AND WARMLINES
- What is a Warm Line and What Should I Expect When I Call One? by C. Grossberg
- National Mental Health Consumers Self-Help Clearinghouse Warmline Index
- http://www.warmline.org/
PSYCHOSIS/ HEARING VOICES
- Intervoice – the International Hearing Voices Network
- Coping Strategies for Hearing Voices – New Zealand Hearing Voices
- Find a Group – Hearing Voices Network