Emergency options for people with mental health problems

I can only think of the Samaritans, their phone number is 0857 90 90 90. Is there a local branch of MIND that could help your friend?

A&E and the emergency NHS number are both appropriate options for someone experiencing a mental health crisis alternativegran. There will also usually be a mental health crisis team available out of hours (though not usually 24 hours) that can be contacted (depending on where / in which country you live). Since they can be accessed through A&E it still follows that A&E is a good place to start.

A mental health crisis as serious as this is appropriate for the NHS emergency number. A & E is also appropriate, but not a pleasant place to be in a crowded A & E when feeling suicidal. A serious depressive illness is a life-threatening illness and a crisis such as this should be treated in a similar way to someone having a heart attack or any other physical crisis.

Thank you all, I did ring the Samaritans to ask for advice at the time but they could only suggest that I made sure she was taking her medication and to get her to call them.

Years ago when I lived in the Midlands mental health patients had a designated person they could call in a time of crisis, it was a good system but probably no longer exists after so many cuts. I doubt my friend would be able face a taxi ride to A and E in her wheelchair, she is physically frail and also an uncontrolled epileptic, explaining her situation over the phone to someone without psychiatric training, especially if she is hearing voices at the time, would probably be too difficult for her. There is an emergency crisis team for our area but I couldn't find their phone number when I looked, Mind is a good idea I will ring them.

If there is a crisis team in her area her gp should be able to give her the number. Unfortunately these vary in availability and services offered. If it's a good one they will send someone out to assess her. She can also ask that a record is made that if she phones them she's in desperate need not just looking for someone to talk to. There is no guarantee that they'll respond appropriately but it's worked for me in the past. It's on my notes that they mustn't tell me to go to sleep or have a bath (I kid you not these are often suggested). If I contact them I'm reaching out in desperation because I'm cutting out of control or about to OD. Either way I'm in serious danger.

If there is nothing like that available then the Samaritans are a good bet. At least they listen and can keep you occupied until the danger time has past and sometimes they can be so unintentionally funny they can lift your mood a little. One day I phoned because I couldn't stop cutting and the lady was so excited because I was her first self harmer she started to quote her training. Apparently it was a physical expression of my mental suffering. No sh*t, Sherlock Made me smile though and broke the behaviour loop.

If she goes to a and e they should be able to access the on call psychiatric team but again it depends on the a and e staff. I was treated very well by the local a and e team when I cut too deep and it wouldn't stop bleeding but I know of other people in other areas who have been treated with no understanding.

Thank you for posting vampirequeen, sadly you seem to understand the situation very well. My friend does cut herself and regularly rings the Samaritans in addition to her friends, but there are times when she needs more professional help.

I think the main problem is an out of hours crisis when she can't get hold of her GP, in our area access to the mental health crisis team can only come through a GP.

The local Mind is miles away and their telephone number isn't available out of hours, I did find a charity called Rethink Mental Illness which has a very useful website I will probably get in touch with them. I had a look at what the various political parties were saying before the election but got the impression that the conservatives main aim was to get people back to work so doubt there will be much improvement in mental health care in the near future.

Maybe she, with your help, could talk to any mental health professional with whom she is in contact or else the GP, and formulate a strategy with them as to how they should deal with such a situation if it arises in the future. She needs to know what to do if it happens again.

alternative I don't have an answer for you but it seems to me she did the right thing in speaking to you. I am glad she has someone she can talk to in a crisis. Maybe it doesn't matter who it is as long as she has someone. What a shame more sufferers don't have someone like you.

Does she have a MH team? If so, they may be able to offer out of hours support.

She has had in the past vampirequeen, but they seem to disapear quickly once the crisis is over, there isnt any ongoing support apart from her GP and visits to a psychiatrist. Luckygirls plan of going with her to the GP might work, ideally she should have the number of someone like a key worker who could liase with the mental health services for her in crisis situations.

In emergency you can call the police. That sounds odd but its what we were told re a family member. They will take the person to a psychiatric hospital where there are emergency duty teams. It sounds drastic but it gets people the right help quickly. In fact in a recent documentary re the Met, one pc actually said that he'd joined to prevent crime but spent most of his time with people with mental health problems. No surprise there!

Thank you Jane10,

It doesn't sound odd and it has happened when someone found her outside on a cold night obviously needing help. Its a problem deciding what is an emergency for her friends because no-one wants to cry wolf in case they aren't taken seriously at a later date, which is why some sort of a key worker with psychiatric experience could be a good solution.