Mental health crises can occur when emotional distress becomes so intense that it feels difficult to cope, think clearly, make decisions, or function safely. During these moments, people often feel overwhelmed, frightened, exhausted, hopeless, or unsure where to turn.

Crisis support is designed to help individuals stabilize, increase safety, reduce immediate distress, and identify appropriate next steps. Depending on the situation, support may involve emotional assistance, safety planning, problem-solving, connecting with resources, developing coping strategies, or accessing a higher level of care.

Many people seek crisis support because they feel overwhelmed by a sudden event, emotional pain, relationship conflict, major life stressor, mental health symptoms, or circumstances that feel unmanageable.

The goal is not to solve every problem immediately. The goal is to help people get through the current moment safely while building a path forward.

A mental health crisis is any situation in which emotional distress becomes difficult to manage and begins significantly affecting safety, functioning, decision-making, or well-being.

Crises can look different from person to person. For some individuals, a crisis may involve intense anxiety, panic, overwhelming stress, emotional breakdowns, or feeling unable to cope. For others, it may involve severe depression, thoughts of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, psychotic symptoms, traumatic events, or major life disruptions.

A crisis is not defined by whether someone else's situation appears worse.

What matters is whether the person is struggling to manage safely and effectively in the moment.

Understanding that crises can take many forms often helps people recognize when support may be appropriate.

Mental health crises often involve a sense that your usual coping strategies are no longer working.

Some common signs may include:

Feeling completely overwhelmed
Difficulty functioning day to day
Intense emotional distress
Feeling unable to cope
Significant changes in behavior
Severe anxiety or panic
Emotional numbness or shutdown
Difficulty making decisions
Feeling unsafe or out of control
Thoughts of harming yourself or others

A useful question to consider is, "Do I feel capable of safely managing what I'm experiencing right now?" If the answer is no, or if you are unsure, seeking support is often a wise next step.

When distress becomes overwhelming, many people feel pressure to immediately solve every problem at once. Unfortunately, that pressure often increases stress and makes it harder to think clearly.

During a crisis, it can be helpful to focus on immediate safety and the next manageable step rather than trying to solve everything at once.

This may involve reaching out to a trusted person, contacting a mental health professional, using coping strategies that have helped before, seeking crisis resources, or accessing emergency support when necessary.

Many people find it helpful to ask themselves, "What is the next safe step I can take right now?" Even small steps can help create stability during highly emotional situations. You do not have to navigate overwhelming moments entirely on your own.

Important: Westside Behavioral Care providers are not emergency crisis responders. Some therapists may offer crisis-focused appointments for individuals who can safely wait 24 to 48 hours for support.

If you or someone you know needs immediate assistance, contact emergency services, call or text 988, or contact Colorado Crisis Services by calling 1-844-493-TALK (8255) or texting TALK to 38255.

Colorado Crisis Services and 988 are available 24 hours a day and can provide immediate support, crisis counseling, and access to mobile crisis response teams when needed.

Additional crisis resources are available on Westside Behavioral Care's Crisis Resources page.

Immediate support may be important when emotional distress becomes severe, safety concerns arise, or someone feels unable to manage effectively on their own.

Examples may include:

Thoughts of self-harm
Thoughts of suicide
Feeling unsafe
Severe emotional distress
Psychotic symptoms
Significant impairment in functioning
Inability to care for basic needs
Situations involving risk of harm to yourself or others

When safety is uncertain, it is generally better to seek support sooner rather than later. Many people worry that their situation is "not serious enough" to reach out. In reality, support services exist because people sometimes need help navigating difficult moments.

Yes. Although crises often feel overwhelming in the moment, they are typically temporary experiences rather than permanent conditions. Many people who once felt completely overwhelmed later look back and recognize that the intensity of the crisis eventually passed.

Recovery often involves receiving support, addressing underlying concerns, strengthening coping skills, increasing safety, and reconnecting with personal resources and support systems.

The path forward may not always be immediate or straightforward. However, many individuals successfully move through crises and regain stability, hope, and a sense of control.

Online therapy can be helpful in some crisis situations, particularly when someone needs emotional support, coping strategies, guidance, or help processing difficult experiences.

However, some crises require more immediate or intensive intervention than telehealth alone can provide. If someone is at immediate risk of harming themselves or others, unable to stay safe, or experiencing a severe psychiatric emergency, emergency services, crisis services, or a higher level of care may be more appropriate.

The appropriate level of support depends on the individual's circumstances, symptoms, and safety needs. A mental health professional can help determine what type of care is most appropriate.

A useful question to consider is, "Who or what can help me stay safe and supported right now?"

Depending on the situation, support may come from:

A licensed mental health professional
A crisis hotline or crisis service
Emergency services
A trusted friend or family member
A physician or psychiatrist
Community mental health resources

For immediate support, individuals in Colorado can contact Colorado Crisis Services by calling 1-844-493-TALK (8255) or texting TALK to 38255. Individuals anywhere in the United States can also call or text 988 for crisis support.

You do not need to wait until a crisis becomes worse before reaching out. Seeking support early can often help prevent situations from becoming more difficult. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It is often an important step toward safety, stability, and recovery.