These are dark times. It is, in fact, the world that is crazy – despair and anxiety are natural responses to watching society destroy itself for the wealthy and powerful. But by reaching out to each other, we can find the courage to stay engaged with the world, to survive, and to fight back. Mental health and mental health crises vary a lot between people, and are often intertwined with class, race, gender, and activism. These suggestions are generic, but may be useful for yourself or others. If you find yourself or someone you love having delusional thinking or consider self-harm or other violence, these suggestions probably aren’t enough. Remember that it is okay to reach out for professional help!
Day-to-Day:
• Our brains are connected to our bodies, so physical health can help with mental distress. Eating healthy food on a regular schedule and getting enough sleep are necessary for mental stability and sustained activism. Exercise, dance, and physical movement help, too. So can fresh air and having a stable, calming place to stay. Try to recognize if you’re missing one of these, and if that’s causing distress.
• An important component of mental health is the ability to know ourselves, understand our needs, and be able to talk about them to the other people in our lives. This can be really challenging and can often take guidance from others who have learned how to do it with one another.
• It can help to have language for mental crisis that feels comfortable and makes more sense than the dominant medical language. Transmission of language often happens in groups. Talk to friends about the different ways you can feel “off” and develop your own shorthand to describe them.
• Joining a mutual support group of peers listening to and helping peers as equals can be validating, while not necessarily endorsing your feelings. You can form one yourself or join an ongoing group.
• If possible, find a therapist or counselor who supports your self-determination. Ask about confidentiality if someone else — such as your parents, boss, or governmental program — is paying.
• Drugs and alcohol usually make mental health problems worse.
• Psychiatric drugs such as those for depression or bipolar disorder can help some people reduce distress and maintain stability, while other people with similar symptoms may experience distress or harm from the same drugs. Figuring out what works for you can be a process because people differ.
• Nature and wilderness can be our greatest healers. Spend some time outside the city to get centered. Get away from pollution, which is in itself mind-altering. Look up “Ecopsychology” to learn more.
• Allow social, political, and environmental crises unfolding around you to radicalize you, rather than driving you to despair. Actually articulate the world you would want to be living in; work towards it. Remember change happens collectively – look for ways to plug in. Small acts like talking to neighbors or submitting art to Slingshot can help you feel political agency between larger or more radical actions.
During a Crisis:
• Many communities have 24 hour a day crisis hotlines or crisis centers. Call 800-SUICIDE if you’re thinking about killing yourself or 800 646-HOPE to reach a rape crisis line for survivors of sexual violence. Warning: if you call and say you want to kill yourself police may arrive at your door.
• Things that can help your mental health day-to-day might not be as effective when you’re in crisis. Review the above reminders, and try to eat, exercise, journal, etc., but it’s okay if that isn’t helping.
• Distracting yourself from depressed or anxious thoughts can help: listening to music, making art, washing dishes, doing a project alone or with others. Embrace sensation: use your hands or massage your fingers. Hold onto an ice cube, or take a hot or cold shower. Give yourself time to gather resources.
• Some current emotional crises may be caused by traumas from the past, which may need to be emotionally and consciously processed in order not to keep recurring; that processing might take time.
• When in crisis, it may help to realize that the feeling will eventually pass and your life will begin to feel manageable and meaningful again later. Depression may feel like lack of feelings and a lack of connection to feeling. Anxiety may feel like rapidly cycling concern for what might happen. Both inhibit your ability to perceive and understand the world correctly. Your perceptions of hopelessness are NOT accurate. Avoid making drastic decisions or hurting yourself while unable to correctly perceive reality.
• It’s okay to reach out; it can help to discuss disturbing mental states with others you trust. Remind yourself that there are people in your life who want to discuss this with you. Conversely, if you have a loved one in crisis, the most helpful thing is to make it clear that you care and be there to listen. They may not be able to call or ask for help — it can be very helpful to keep calling them every day or two to check-in, even if they don’t answer the phone or seem to want help. It is okay to want to be alone, so just make it clear that you care. It’s also important to get support for yourself. Caring about someone who is in crisis is in itself a big challenge. Capitalism wants us to struggle as individuals, but we’re in this together!