How to Identify a Mental Health Crisis

Identifying a mental health crisis is not a straightforward task. Its not like tracing the jagged line of a fracture on an X-ray. Unlike a physical injury with readily observable signs—the swelling, the blood, the undeniable break—a mental health crisis often resides in the realm of subjective experience. It is a sudden tempest brewing within and its presentation and impact vary dramatically from one person to the next. What constitutes a crisis for one individual, a tidal wave of overwhelming emotion, might be perceived as manageable stress for one and a choppy sea by another.