Youth Mental Health Crisis

Youth Mental Health Crisis

(gentle music) Last week, my daughter came home from school and she couldn’t stop crying. She had a hard time saying what was happening, but she couldn’t catch her breath. We went to the hospital. My son just stopped talking and wouldn’t look at us. Eventually, he was sleeping about 18 hours a day and wouldn’t go to school. Our doctor helped us figure out what to do. My younger brother would bang his head against the wall. Then he started saying he wanted to fall asleep and not wake up. I called a crisis line and they helped us get through it. My niece lost a lot of weight, but she said she didn’t want to eat more because of how she looked. Her doctor was worried. We found a therapist with a specialty in eating problems. (gentle music) Knowing how to help a youth who is experiencing a mental health crisis is vitally important. It can feel scary, but it’s also something you can prepare for and practice. One of the most valuable ways to help is to know what different options and resources are available. Some communities have a lot of resources, such as major metropolitan areas with centralized healthcare services. In this case, you might have a big hospital with a large number of departments and providers. In more rural or remote locations, emergency mental health services or any medical services at all might be difficult to identify. Mental health crises can include severe anxiety or depression, suicidal thoughts or behavior, non-suicidal self-injury, panic attacks, eating concerns, psychosis, substance use, overdose, and other problems. If a crisis like these should occur, consider your location and access to any of the following. Hospitals, emergency rooms, or 911. Virtually every community has access to 911, even if emergency services are a distance away. Whether in person or on the phone, anyone associated with these services is trained to address a mental health crisis. Suicide prevention crisis lines. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has trained professionals available 24/7 at 1-800-273-TALK. There are many other crisis lines, including state and local services. Each has people who are able to speak directly with someone in crisis. They’re connected with emergency resources and can help someone find immediate care. Mental health or abuse crisis lines. In addition to suicide crisis lines, there are national and local crisis phone and chat systems available to address eating concerns, intimate partner violence, child and elder abuse, non-suicidal self-injury, and other urgent situations. Community mental health centers. States, cities, and counties often have organizations focused on mental health care, with some in dozens of locations. Many have walk-in services specifically to address mental health crises. Substance use. Several types of resources offer urgent support for people experiencing a substance use crisis or overdose. Public hospitals, detox facilities, residential treatment facilities, rehabilitation services, and private organizations offer different levels of care for different types of substance problems. Get to know your community and its resources so you are able to help during a mental health crisis. If your community has few local services, find out the nearest accessible facility and learn how to contact it and how to get there. Also, be sure to find out about local and national crisis lines, and, remember, there is always help somewhere and there is always hope. (gentle music)

Get to know your community and resources so you can help during a mental health crisis. Find out about crisis lines and remember – there is always help.

#MentalHealthCrisis #MentalHealthSupport #MentalHealth

Follow and subscribe to Psych Hub:
https://www.facebook.com/PsychHubEd/
Tweets by PsychHub
https://www.instagram.com/psychhubeducation/ 
https://www.linkedin.com/company/psychhubeducation/ 

Learning about mental health is crucial for us all to imagine a better future for everyone. Psych Hub’s Mental Health Ally Certification learning hubs will help you become an important steward of your wellbeing and that of your loved ones. Start learning here: www.psychhub.com

© 2021 Psych Hub, LLC. All Rights Reserved.