When Is It A Crisis And When Do I Ask For Help?

[theshadowoftheliving]

I'm struggling with choosing life.

My therapist gave me the emergency contact number for her, plus lines to local mental health emergency centers and the national suicide prevention line. She told me to call if I was in a crisis.

But what is a crisis? I have trouble identifying anything as a problem unless I'm actively committing suicide, at which point it would feel too late. I'm so afraid of being that person that panics over things that are no big deal, so I always assume that my situation is not worthy of reaching out for help.

When do you know when it is time to admit you can't handle things anymore?

I feel so, so hopeless. I wish I could disappear, and I wish I could just let myself rip my skin to shreds until I don't feel anything at all.

Sorry if this sounds dramatic; I don't mean it that way at all.

 

[Justmehere]

I'm struggling with choosing life.

Seems like a good reason to call at least the crisis line, if not your therapist as well.

Don't let the struggle with the choice to call or not stop you from reaching out.

In the US, there is a new trend to have something called a "peer support line," or a "warm line." It's an alternative to a hotline. You can google and find one somewhere hopefully near you, and if not, at least somewhere in the US. They are for "less than a crisis" types of situations. A few times I have reached out to them, and asked them if I should call a crisis line. (They usually said yes, but it helped a lot to call.) They are lines for people who need to talk to someone anyone about anything related to mental health, anything.

There are also online crisis chat services too.

 

[WillyKat]

I agree completely w/ @Justmehere. When in doubt, make a call.

Just off the top of my head, if you're about to cut, call someone. If you're making any plans or taking any steps, call.

I've been at the end of that rope many times, though thankfully not lately. And I never called; I just kept letting life slip away.

Feel free to post any time, regardless is its a crisis or not.

 

[anthony]

When do you know when it is time to admit you can't handle things anymore?

When you're realistically thinking about dying, and planning for it, then help is required if you want to also live.

 

[theshadowoftheliving]

Thanks y'all. I think I'm safe for the meantime - going to try to go to sleep, and I'm seeing my therapist again tomorrow. I'm just never sure about how to handle these moments when I become so overwhelmed I feel like I turn into another person and start acting with little to no control - when I'm coherent enough to write I know that I won't act, but when I'm so so so emotional I can't even form words and it's like someone else is in charge.

My brain is fuzzy; I hope that sleeping makes all of this go away.

 

[Seasounds]

But what is a crisis?....I'm so afraid of being that person that panics over things that are no big deal, so I always assume that my situation is not worthy of reaching out for help.

A crisis is when you feel overwhelmed. You and your situation are always worth receiving help.

For me, staying connected has been a life-saver; as I reached out and went to therapy, I learned more and more skills to work through the tough times. One of those, skills that grew over time, was being able to notice my mounting stress level before I got to my breaking point.

Reaching out is a good action. You are worth it!:)

 

[shimmerz]

when I become so overwhelmed I feel like I turn into another person and start acting with little to no control

I wonder if learning more about the Structural Dissociation Theory may help you. This sounds like a 'part' of you....

 

[Ronin]

When you're contemplating giving your life up as a solution to anything?

I'd say that pretty well qualifies for a crisis.

Besides, helplines don't exist only to provide support 'at the last resort'. They exist to help people in problems they can't solve themselves at the moment. Your life crossroad sounds about applicable for that.

 

[nay.elizabeth]

I'm struggling with choosing life.

My therapist gave me the emergency contact number for h...

Been there, know the feeling all too well. I've also wondered "when do I ask for help?" Many people can have many responses and it can be quite confusing at times.

Some say to call the second the idea comes into your head. Some say to call when you're making plans. Some say to call as you are getting the "tools" out. I figure, when you know, you know.

 

[Tinyflame]

I think call when you're still able.

 

[theshadowoftheliving]

Been there, know the feeling all too well. I've also wondered "when do I ask for help?" Many peopl...

I don't think I do know when to call. Historic problem. I assume nothing is bad unless I am dead ... Trying to interrupt the cycle sooner, but I always feel like if I did call, they'd know I wasn't totally serious about dying, and that would just make me an attention-getting fraud....

 

[BloomInWinter]

I'm terrible at asking for help but I've learned the hard way that it is far better to ask for help than it is to stay on the ledge by myself hoping it'll get better.

Though I rarely have called my therapist, the few times I have she has always asked me to call her far sooner in the suffering. If the suffering is stealing my current day from me, that's more than enough to call. There's no scale to human suffering and we are not obligated to wait until we think it's either that or death.

Any therapist would much rather speak with us than go to our funeral. Make the call. None of us should suffer alone. I've made a few of these calls over the past few years and I've always felt better.