You Don't Have to Be in Crisis to Ask for Help | Suicide Prevention

Sep 21

3 min read

You do not have to reach your breaking point before seeking mental health support. Suicide Prevention Month is an important reminder that getting help earlier matters, and that struggling is enough reason to start a conversation.

A close-up view of a person's eyes as they stare contemplatively at the camera.

For people who are accustomed to serving others, it can be surprisingly difficult to recognize when it is time to ask for help yourself.

Veterans, law enforcement officers, first responders, health care professionals, and others in high-stakes service roles often learn to keep functioning through difficult circumstances. You finish the shift. Complete the mission. Take care of the person next to you. Handle what needs to be handled and deal with yourself later.

Sometimes, "later" keeps getting pushed further away.

You can be functioning and still be struggling.

Mental health struggles do not always look like a crisis.

You may still be going to work, taking care of your family, keeping appointments, and

doing everything expected of you while privately feeling exhausted, disconnected,

angry, anxious, or overwhelmed.

Maybe you are not sleeping. Maybe you are drinking more than you used to. You might

be avoiding people or activities you once enjoyed, struggling to concentrate, feeling

increasingly hopeless, or finding that experiences from your past are becoming harder

to push aside.

None of these experiences automatically means someone is suicidal. But they can be

signs that your mental health deserves attention.

You do not need to wait for those problems to become more severe before talking to

someone.

Prevention Can Start Before a Crisis

During Suicide Prevention Month, much of the conversation understandably focuses on

recognizing an immediate crisis. Knowing the warning signs of suicide and how to

respond can save lives.

But suicide prevention also includes what happens much earlier.

It can mean addressing depression that has been getting worse. Talking about a

traumatic experience you have been trying to manage alone. Getting help for anxiety

that is interfering with your daily life. Reconnecting with people after months of isolation.

Finding healthier ways to cope when alcohol or other behaviors have become an

escape.

Seeking care earlier gives you and your provider an opportunity to understand what is

happening and identify ways to address it before distress becomes more difficult to

manage.

You Don't Need to Know What to Call It

One reason people delay seeking mental health care is the belief that their problems

are not "serious enough".

You do not need a diagnosis before making an appointment. You also do not need to

know whether what you are experiencing is depression, PTSD, anxiety, burnout, grief,

or something else.

A qualified mental health professional can help you determine that. Your first conversation can begin with something as simple as, "I haven't felt like myself lately," "I'm having trouble sleeping," or "Something happened that I can't seem to get past."

You also do not have to tell your entire story in your first appointment. Mental health care can begin with where you are right now.

When You Need Help Right Now

There is a difference between seeking support for something you have been struggling with and needing immediate help during a mental health crisis.

Thoughts about suicide should always be taken seriously. If you are thinking about suicide, feel that you may hurt yourself, or are concerned that you cannot keep yourself safe, immediate support is available through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 at any time.

Veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and their loved ones can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 988 and pressing 1 or texting 838255.

Start Before It Becomes a Crisis

You don't have to wait until you cannot function, until someone else notices, or until you reach a crisis to decide something needs to change.

At ValorMynd, we provide secure virtual behavioral health services for Veterans, law enforcement, first responders, public servants, adult beneficiaries, and loved ones across Texas. Our clinicians understand the demands of service-related roles and provide evidence-based care designed around individual needs.

If you have been telling yourself that you should be able to handle it on your own, consider starting with a conversation.

Learn more about our services and book an appointment at ValorMynd.com.

If you are in immediate danger or experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988. Veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and their loved ones can contact the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1, or by texting 838255.