How I Created an Emergency mental health plan
Rather watch than read? Check out the video: How I Created an Emergency Mental Health Plan
I got a new therapist this year and went into it with some very specific goals: to address my confidence and my anxiety. My therapist quickly suggested that my concerns may be rooted in my identity and experience as a person with bipolar I, to which I said, “LOL NOPE!” He challenged me to consider it anyway, and by our next session I admitted that he might be onto something.
As we continued to unpack my feelings around my bipolar I, I was able to bring to the surface my repressed fears about what would happen if I were to ever slip into a manic episode again. I worried about my safety, the safety of those around me, and whether my emergency contacts (my partner and my best friend) would know what to do. Being the solution-oriented bitch that I am, I immediately considered what might help me feel safer. I decided to draft an Emergency Mental Health Plan. This is what the document looks like:
The following plan is to be implemented in the event of a manic episode.
Take me to an inpatient psych hospital.
Pack a bag with 3 days of clothes, shower stuff, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, 1 comforting item (my drag blanket)
Hospital:
Name, address, and phone number of the hospital of my choice. I checked to ensure that this hospital was covered by my health insurance.
Partner direction: Call my best friend if you don’t know what to do. Even if you know what to do, let her know what’s going on as my additional emergency contact and support for you.
Call my mom if necessary, and included her phone number.
Call my psychiatrist to inform her of the hospitalization.
Name and phone number
NOTE: This doesn’t need to happen immediately. Can happen the next day.
Symptoms of mania:
Not sleeping enough
High energy
Compulsive spending (Ex.: $500 at Five Below)
Extreme highs and lows of mood that happen quickly (Ex.: From laughing to crying)
Talking super fast
Can’t sit still
Extravagant or delusional thinking/ideas
NOTE: Since my best friend experienced both my manic episode and depressive episodes, strongly suggest my partner have a conversation with her about what to look out for, from an external perspective and not just mine.
NOTE: This is the short term plan, not the long term plan. Long term plan will depend on the severity of the episode and how quickly I bounce back. Make sure I see my psychiatrist after coming home from the hospital and encourage me to get a therapist if I don’t already have one. Another option is an outpatient hospitalization program (I provided the name of the specific one of my choice), which could be another suggestion, especially if I have a hard time finding a therapist. This is a morning/afternoon therapy program that I would go to a few times a week at the same hospital I was taken to for inpatient. Otherwise, daily check-ins and tending to my baseline needs may be necessary, especially if I slip into a depression.
I gave this plan to both my partner and best friend and talked to both of them about it so they could consent to being part of it and know what to expect. My fears around a relapse were immediately relieved upon completing this plan and sharing it with my partner and best friend. I feel confident in the support I have and feel good knowing what to expect if this were to happen.
What I like about this plan is that I created it myself in a clear, balanced, stable state of mind. There’s nothing to question considering I was/am in a healthy place with my mental health and I’ve consented to the plan in this headspace. I also like that it takes the pressure off my partner and best friend. It’s already scary enough to navigate an emergency mental health scenario, and with this plan in place, all they need to do is follow the steps. They don’t have to worry about whether they’re making the right decisions because I already made these decisions for myself.
If you have a diagnosis like bipolar I, schizophrenia, or any other situation that can leave you feeling unsafe, I super duper suggest drafting your own Emergency Mental Health Plan. Feel free to use my example as your own template, but be sure to include any particular details that are important to you, your diagnosis, and your safety. The more specific, the better!
Check out my videos about my experience having bipolar I on my YouTube Channel! In the second video, I go into more detail about my experience at an inpatient hospital.