This text is an archive
You can find the original text on PDF on CPA’s Google Drive and you can find other resources by CPA (Campaign for Psychiatric Abolition) on their Linktree : linktr dot ee /cpabolition).
This is only a transcript to avoid having to go through Google’s platform to read the original text.
We Cannot Rely on Psychiatry to Help Us… So How Can We Support Each Other?
No one knows what helps them best during a crisis better than the person experiencing it themselves.
- Putting together and discussing a care plan in preparation for crisis can give everyone an opportunity to discuss the best way to help if and when the occasion occurs.
- Be mindful: your friend or loved one may not feel comfortable sharing their care plan or steps during crisis with you. They may not want to place that responsibility on you, or feel they have someone else more equipped and trusted to handle it. It is important that you don’t take offence to this - nothing can exacerbate a crisis like having around you the people you don’t feel are able to help or understand you.
- Be sure to share your emergency contacts with those around you so that if a crisis situation does arise, they would know who to contact to best support you.
Practical Questions To Think About
Who do you want to discuss this care plan with?
- Who do you trust to be with you during a time of crisis or distress?
- Are they someone who gets stressed easily?
- Do they understand your mental illness(es), the root causes and your triggers?
- Do they live locally and are they connected to a network of your friends or loved ones to co-ordinate help if necessary?
- Try to discuss with more than one person if possible.
Do you trust them to not call the police, even if they are very overwhelmed and unsure what else to do?
What signs are there that you are becoming more unwell/unsafe?
- In the time leading up to crisis point, are there any things to put in place to prevent a crisis?
- Do you have a way to communicate what these are, and if you feel yourself spiralling?
- Are you a risk to just yourself in crisis, or is there a possibility that you could cause harm to others? What is a way to de-escalate the situation if the prospect of causing harm arises?
- What are definite no go’s (e.g. calling the police, calling estranged relatives, mentioning the prospect of an inpatient stay, grabbing you)
- If you take medication/if it helps, do people know where it is stored?
- Is there anyway in which your mental wellbeing has or will impact your physical wellbeing? E.g. drugs, self harm
What are specific words or actions that can help ground you or calm you down?
- E.g. a wet flannel, eating/drinking, sleep, constant communication, being held tightly (in a comforting manner).
What are specific words or actions that should be avoided to prevent making things worse?
- E.g. discussion around certain topics, calling the police, dismissal of what you may be seeing or hearing.
Is there a stage where you would like emergency services to be contacted?
- E.g. an ambulance when you are unconscious - be aware that contacting emergency services, even if just for an ambulance, can risk police involvement. Do whatever makes you feel most safe.
Key Points To Remember
TALK: Please take this as a prompt to discuss with those around you how you can support each other. We keep each other safe!
Especially in activist spaces, where burnout is common, often we can be working alongside each other in intense environments whilst never discussing how to help people if someone begins to show signs of distress.
Let’s champion a politics of radical, community care.
NEVER CALL THE COPS ON SOMEONE, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE IN CRISIS!
A Support Plan Example
Every individual’s support plan will be di erent, but here’s an example of someone’s that might help you gure out the best things to include in your own plan:
“This is my crisis plan, I feel comfortable sharing it with my comrades in my affinity group as I believe they can help me the most as they live locally, and I trust will keep me safe without having to involve emergency services.
I don’t want X to be involved because they have similar triggers to mine and it could escalate the situation for either of us. I have psychotic mental illnesses that tend to be triggered by stress and drug use. I struggle to prevent and identify when this crisis point will arise but I appreciate my comrades telling me if they think I need a break because they believe I could spiral into a crisis.
If I start getting distressed to a point of causing harm to my comrades I appreciate to not be touched as this will distress me more. I do not want the police or ambulance services to be involved unless my physical wellbeing is under serious harm. I have a medication called X which is stored in the inner pocket of bag and I carry it with me at all times, this can help me calm down so i appreciate it being offered. And I would appreciate my friends not doing or offering me alcohol or drugs directly after my crisis as this could make me get into a bad place again”
About Campaign for Psychiatric Abolition (CPA)
We are a collective of psychiatric survivors fighting for the abolition of psychiatry, policing and prisons. For more information and to keep up with our organising, follow us on our social media:
- Email : cpabolition@riseup.net
- Twitter, instagram and facebook : @CPAbolition
If you would like to support us in creating more resources like these - and are able to (no pressure!) - our PayPal is @cpabolition.