When you’re in a crisis situation, knowing what to do and having the tools at your disposal to solve the crisis is essential!
Best example, you’re driving down the highway and you blowout a tire. Your crisis situation now begins. You gain control of your vehicle and drive it into the breakdown lane. You are now safely out of some danger being in the breakdown lane. You have multiple options in this crisis situation.
Option number one: you can get out of the car and change the tire yourself possibly using a donut or spare tire, and be on your way.
Option number two: if you have AAA or a vehicle service program, a quick phone call can send a tow truck.
Option number three: you can call a friend who can then help you maybe with a ride to buy a spare tire.And/or:
Option number four: if you are like me and sometimes and don’t have spare, or a phone, or friend to call, start walking.
We all have options, tools that power that option. Continuing with the analogy of changing a car tire, I would not be able to change it if I did not have a tire iron. I would not be able to get a hold AAA if I did not have a phone and without that phone, I couldn’t call a friend either. Options and tools get you through crises.
Same holds true when you’re dealing with mental health high risk situation crisis. We need the proper tools individually to handle the situation with the proper response. You don’t crack an egg, so some situations, when it comes to mental health crisis, require a delicate response. While other types of crisis warrant an immediate reply.
Someone like myself who has dealt with suicidal ideation since the onset of my “symptoms” when I was a teenager may not…not require the same due diligence as someone without any previous history of suicidal ideation or verbalization and/or suicidal behavior. In other words, I have a past history of “morbid thoughts” and that of itself does not mean, in my particular case, I am planning to commit suicide. What it does mean, is that by the numbers, statistically speaking, I have a chance of following through… IF I DO NOT RECOGNIZE my symptoms as such. If I do not have the tools to handle such ideation and/or morbid thoughts and ideas…and dwell on the fascination of death: then that could be a problem.
One tool that has helped me in dealing with suicidal ideation and thinking in the past has been writing poetry. Some call it dark poetry – or just honestly putting down my feelings into words as I feel. I have found over the years, that when I write down in poetic form my feelings of ideation or suicidal behavior, I can close the book on that symptom. It’s as if I’ve written down my feeling, got it out of my head, and now I can forget about it and move on.
It’s funny, I use poetry when I’m depressed to write out my feelings of emotional distress but when I’m happy I draw cartoons about mental health humor… And it gets a bit strange. So, If you get a poem from me…kindly suggest I go to CSU.
Consumer Ambassador
Chato Stewart