Being able to identify if a young adult in your life is struggling through a mental health crisis isn’t the easiest thing. It can be challenging to differentiate whether or not a person is just having a series of difficult days, a period of mood swings, or a mental health crisis. Certainly, you want to help your young adult loved one in any way you can, but you may not know exactly what you should do in a situation of crisis.

The best thing you can do if your young adult loved one is dealing with a mental health crisis is to help keep them safe. This may mean contacting emergency services if the case is severe. Or, reaching out to a mental health facility like Yellowbrick. Here, we offer treatment care and programs for young adults who are facing mental health issues like mental health crises.

Signs of a Mental Health Crisis

One of the first things you should do if you suspect that your young adult loved one is dealing with a mental health crisis is to look for the signs of the crisis. Some signs that may indicate that a loved one is dealing with a mental health crisis can include:

• avoidance behaviors and isolation
• memory issues
• trouble concentrating
• suicidal thoughts, ideation, or behaviors
• hallucinating
• intense mood swings (especially with anger/irritability)
• bouts of crying brought on suddenly
• destroying things in bouts of anger
• threatening self-harm or harming others
• thinking or behaving irrationally
• routine changes with sleeping, eating, etc.

It’s important to know that you should act if you believe that a young adult loved one is having a mental health crisis – even if they seem to be feeling better after a period of symptoms is over or they are not in any immediate danger. Experiencing a mental health crisis is serious and requires mental health intervention and care as soon as possible.

Help for Mental Health Crises in Young Adults

Mental health specialists who are trained in helping people dealing with mental health crises can help when you suspect that a young adult loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis. First, mental health specialists will help to determine if this is going on by providing a thorough mental health evaluation to identify symptoms and underlying mental health issues.

Some things you can expect from mental health specialists during a mental health crisis can include:

• helping to identify and adjust negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
• learning about healthy coping mechanisms in order to adjust negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors throughout a mental health crisis
• involving the family and loved ones in support by providing educational tools and therapy
• learning about self-harm prevention and incorporating techniques into daily life
• helping to build a better sense of self
• practicing and learning about managing and regulating emotions
• learning about and identifying emotional and behavioral triggers

Mental health treatment can help young adults who deal with mental health crises to learn how to utilize helpful tools in order to identify when these crises happen, manage and self-regulate emotions, and return back to a state of pre-crises.

If you or a loved one is dealing with a mental health crisis, Yellowbrick is here to help. Find out about more our mental health treatment services available to young adults on our website.