Dealing with an adult mental health crisis
Local help and support if you feel your mental health is at breaking point.
Last reviewed: 29 October 2024
If you feel your mental health is at breaking point, accessing support and talking to someone straight away is important and can provide reassurance and comfort. If you urgently need to talk to someone about how you feel, there are friendly and confidential services available to support you right now.
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What is a mental health crisis?
The mental health charity Mind describes a mental health crisis as when you feel in need of urgent help. For example, you might be experiencing:
- Suicidal feelings or self-harming behaviour
- Extreme anxiety or panic attacks
- Psychotic episodes (such as delusions, hallucinations, paranoia or hearing voices)
- Mania (intense moods, hyperactivity, delusions and unreasonable euphoria) or hypomania (a milder version of mania that lasts for a short period)
- Other behaviour that feels out of control and is likely to endanger yourself or others
Services available
- Mental health crisis helpline - 24 hours 7 days a week support for people in Surrey experiencing a mental health crisis. Call 0800 915 4644.
- If you have speech or hearing difficulties, you can contact the helpline by: SMS: 07717 989024 or Relay UK Dial 18001 0800 915 4644 from your text phone or smart app.
- Safe Havens Surrey - provide out of hours care if you or someone you care for are experiencing a crisis. They are staffed by mental health practitioners and two trained Safe Haven workers and provide a safe alternative to A&E. Safe Havens are open evenings, weekends and bank holidays and are located in Redhill, Aldershot, Epsom, Guildford and Woking. You can drop in and do not need to make an appointment.
- There are also online safe havens so you do not have to leave home.
- 999 - Call immediately if you or someone is in a life-threatening situation.
- 111 - Call if you urgently need medical help or advice but it is not a life-threatening situation.
- Mind planning for a mental health crisis - Think about what you can do if you start to feel a mental health crisis beginning.
- Shout UK - Free crisis text line. A safe space with trained crisis volunteers. Text line does not appear on phone bills. Text 85258, 24 hour text line.
- Samaritans - A free 24 hour helpline here to listen to you. The phone line will not appear on phone bills. Call 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org.
- Stay Alive app - Information, safety plans and a life box where you can store photos important to you. The app can be used yourself if you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide. There are links to Surrey crisis services.
Suicide Prevention
If you are supporting someone that may be in a crisis or would like to create a plan for yourself or someone else in case of a crisis, there are several resources available.
- Staying safe - Provides vital 'safety plan' guidance tools with easy print/online templates and video tutorials.
- Mind planning for a mental health crisis - Think about what you can do if you start to feel a mental health crisis beginning.
- Stay Alive app - Information, safety plans and a life box where you can store photos important to you. The app can be used yourself if you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide.