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Home Providers & Professionals Mental Health How to Get Help and Help Yourself During a Mental Health Crisis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
How to Get Help and Help Yourself During a Mental Health CrisisFor Veterans, Canadian Forces Members and Their FamiliesTable of Contents
Mental health means striking a balance in all aspects of your life: social, physical, spiritual, and mental. At times, the balance may be tipped too much in one direction. Everyone's personal balance is unique and the challenge is to stay healthy by keeping the balance right. What Causes Stress?At one time or another, everyone feels stress. Major events in our lives can bring on stress. You might feel "stressed out" when you:
Sometimes it can be hard to deal with stress if you have a mental health condition like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. It can also be very stressful if you are a family member trying to help a loved one in need. Can Stress Cause a Crisis?Yes. Stress is normal. But if you are having a hard time coping with stress, you may be in crisis. How do I Know if I'm in Crisis?
If I am in Crisis, What can I do?If you are thinking about hurting yourself or someone else, or taking your life:
8 Ways to Prevent, or Deal with, a CrisisPlan ahead. Visit your family doctor. If you do not have a doctor, seek help in finding one. Talk to your doctor when you are not in crisis. This way, your doctor can learn about your needs, put in place a plan to help you, or put you in touch with others who can help you. This might help you avoid a crisis down the road. Prepare a list of important phone numbers . You can use the form that is in this brochure. Keep it in a handy spot like your kitchen, wallet, or home office space. Call Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). Call 1-866-522-2122 to learn about services and supports through Veterans Affairs Canada. Call VAC Assistance Service. This service offers short-term professional counselling services to former CF members, former RCMP members, war Veterans, and their families. Urgent face-to-face counselling can be arranged. You can call the VAC Assistance Service 24 hours a day at 1-800-268-7708 . Seek Peer Support. VAC and DND offer a peer support program called OSSIS. This program puts you in touch with someone who has gone through similar stressful events, knows how you are feeling, and has been trained to help you. It is offered to CF members, Veterans, and their family members who are dealing with operational stress injuries as a direct result of military service. Call 1-800-883-6094 or visit the OSISS Web site at www.osiss.ca. (External link). Call a telephone crisis service. Telephone crisis lines operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Look in the white pages of your local telephone book for a service in your area. A trained person will listen to you, talk you through any difficult periods, and help you decide the next step in getting the help you or your family may need. Contact a mental health facility or a community health clinic in your area. Staff in the clinic can usually provide mental health counselling and a range of other services. Some offer evening appointments. If you are already getting treatment through a clinic, talk to the people who are treating you. When appropriate, they can quickly arrange for emergency appointments and services. Seek/accept help from family or friends. Let a person close to you know that you are in need of help. They might be able to provide you with the support you need until you can see a professional or get other help. 11 Ways to Take Care of Yourself
Remember...There are a number of services and supports in place to help you. You do not have to deal with your problems alone. Important Phone Numbers
Remember: If one resource is not immediately available try another! |
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