Dealing with a mental health crisis or emergency

A mental health crisis often means that you no longer feel able to cope or be in control of your situation. You may feel great emotional distress or anxiety and cannot cope with every-day life or work situations. In more severe cases, you might experience hallucinations and hear voices as if inside your head – or even experience thoughts about suicide or self-harm.

A crisis can also be the result of an underlying medical condition, such as confusion or delusions caused by an infection, overdose on prescription medication or illicit drugs or intoxication with alcohol. Confusion may also be associated with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia related symptoms. 

Whether you experience a sudden deterioration of an existing mental health problem, or are experiencing problems for the first time, you may need immediate expert assessment to assess the symptoms and identify the best treatment to stop you getting worse. Do not be afraid to ask for help.

Call the Mental Health helpline for support.