Mental Illness: Reaching Out In Times Of Crisis

I have always been a bit of a closed book, preferring to help others as opposed to being helped myself. It isn’t even the fear of being a burden, more that I like to cope with my difficulties alone, unless I reach ‘crisis point.

Myself and my brother have developed our own system, allowing him to check how I’m doing, and me to improve on my reaching out. It is quite simple, I have always been guilty of saying “I’m fine, thanks” when asked how I’m feeling, so instead I simply say good, low but my mood is stable, or low and unstable. Instead of having to go into detail, my worst nightmare, we develop a plan to help me through the day, taking it hour by hour. He will also check in on me regularly, unless he knows that I need to sleep, then I have to contact him once I’m awake.

This is why I’ve found the Samaritans text and email service to be so beneficial, especially during the early hours, a time we all know can be the most challenging. I know that I can contact my brother at any time, waking him up if needed, but sometimes it’s easier to reach out to someone outside of my inner circle, allowing me to offload without the fear of upsetting anyone.

Mental health Facebook groups are also amazing during times of crisis, providing a safe place to reach out for support but from fellow sufferers, those who can truly empathise with how we are feeling because they’ve been there themselves. There are either generic groups, or those focused solely on certain conditions.

However, I must add here that groups can be hit and miss, so it is worth sitting in the background when first joining to ensure that it will be beneficial to you.

An example of this is how, sadly, many groups carry a lot of animosity. I have been a member of a few in which people are either trolling, or taking their difficulties out on fellow members. I was called a c**t for trying to help someone, so I soon gave up on that group and moved on.

There will also be lower-functioning members who can be quite negative in their posts, for various different reasons. While many admins expect a trigger warning to be included on said posts, some will always fall through the net, consequently having a negative impact on your own mood.

It is important that you find your own outlet, be it with a loved one, a medical professional, a support worker, or, like me, someone or something outside of your circle. Living with mental illness is challenging enough, without bottling everything up.