Crisis Plan - What to include

A mental health crisis can build quietly or hit fast. Either way, when your mood drops sharply, anxiety surges, self-harm urges show up, or suicidal thoughts feel louder, it can become harder to think clearly. In that moment, people often do one of two things: they panic and make rushed decisions, or they freeze and do nothing. A crisis plan helps you avoid both.

A crisis plan (often called a safety plan) is a practical, written guide that you create when you feel relatively steady. It sets out your early warning signs, your most common triggers, what helps you ride out intense moments, and who to contact if things escalate. It also makes it easier for friends, family and professionals to support you, because it removes guesswork.

This guide is for UK adults, carers and friends. It explains what to include step by step and how to make your plan usable in real life – on your phone, printed and shared with trusted people. It also covers how to support someone else, how to agree boundaries, and how a plan can help you access GP, NHS talking therapies or crisis services faster.

If you are in immediate danger right now, or you feel you cannot keep yourself safe, call 999 or go to A&E. If you need urgent mental health help but it is not an emergency, you can contact the NHS for urgent mental health support via the guidance on the NHS urgent mental health help page.

What Is a Crisis Plan?

A crisis plan is a short, personalised set of instructions for what to do when your mental health deteriorates quickly or becomes unsafe. It is not a contract and it is not a promise that you will never struggle. Instead, it is a tool that helps you act sooner, with less confusion.

A good crisis plan usually answers these questions:

How do I know a crisis might be building?
What tends to push me into danger territory?
What can I do first, before it gets worse?
Who can support me, and how do I contact them?
What professional services can I use in the UK, and when?
How do I reduce immediate risk in my environment?
What information would help others help me?

Importantly, a crisis plan should feel realistic. If the plan asks you to do ten steps when you are distressed, you likely will not do it. Therefore, aim for simple, short actions that you can follow even when your thinking feels foggy.

Crisis Plan vs Safety Plan

People often use the terms ‘crisis plan’ and ‘safety plan’ interchangeably. In practice, both aim to reduce harm and get support quickly. That said, the wording can matter.

A ‘safety plan’ often focuses specifically on reducing risk when self-harm urges or suicidal thoughts are present. It may include steps to make your environment safer, reasons to stay alive and emergency contacts.

A ‘crisis plan’ can be broader. It may include guidance for severe anxiety, panic, dissociation, mania, psychosis or rapid mood changes, as well as self-harm risk. It can also include practical details like medication lists, diagnoses, and what helps you communicate when you are overwhelmed.

You can choose whichever term feels more comfortable. Some people prefer ‘crisis plan’ because it feels less loaded. Others prefer ‘safety plan’ because it reminds them of the goal: staying alive and reducing harm.

If you are making a plan with a professional, they may have a preferred format. If you are making one yourself, keep it simple and personal. The best plan is the one you will actually use.

Crisis Plan Warning Signs

Warning signs are the early clues that your mental health is shifting. They can be emotional, physical, behavioural or social. Writing them down helps you spot patterns sooner, before you reach a point where you feel out of control.

Common warning signs include:

Sleeping much less or much more than usual.
Loss of appetite or comfort eating that feels compulsive.
Feeling constantly on edge, restless or agitated.
Tearfulness, numbness or feeling disconnected from others.
Increased irritability, snapping or feeling ‘set off’ easily.
Pulling away from friends, cancelling plans or not answering messages.
Feeling hopeless, trapped or like a burden.
Increased self-criticism and harsh inner talk.
Rumination, spiralling or intrusive thoughts you cannot switch off.
Using alcohol, drugs or risky behaviour to cope.
Stopping basic self-care such as washing, eating or taking medication.
Noticing self-harm urges or urges to ‘escape’ getting stronger.

A useful way to write warning signs is to split them into ‘yellow’ and ‘red’.

Yellow signs: Things that mean you need extra support soon.
Red signs: Things that mean you need immediate support now.

For example, “I’m sleeping badly and cancelling plans” might be yellow. “I’m not sleeping at all, I’m drinking daily, and I’m thinking about harming myself” might be red. This colour idea makes it easier for you and others to respond at the right level.

Triggers That Escalate a Crisis

Triggers are situations, events or internal states that tend to push your mental health towards crisis. Some triggers are obvious, such as a relationship breakup. Others are subtle, such as certain smells, dates or tones of voice.

Common triggers include:

Conflict, criticism, rejection or feeling misunderstood.
Feeling trapped, pressured or out of control.
Work stress, disciplinary processes or performance reviews.
Financial worries, debt letters or benefit assessments.
Loneliness, isolation or social comparison.
Grief, anniversaries, birthdays and significant dates.
Alcohol or drug use, including hangovers.
Lack of sleep, pain, illness or hormonal changes.
Court cases, police involvement, safeguarding or housing insecurity.
Trauma reminders such as certain places, media stories or medical settings.

When writing triggers in your plan, add detail that makes them useful. Instead of ‘stress’, write ‘too many demands at once, especially when I feel I can’t say no’. Instead of ‘family’, write ‘family arguments about money and feeling blamed’.

If you are supporting someone else, ask them what their triggers are and what helps. Avoid guessing. What triggers one person may not trigger another.

Coping Strategies to Try First

This section is the heart of your crisis plan: what you do before you contact someone, and what you do while you wait for help. Coping strategies work best when they are specific, short and doable in the real world.

Aim for 3 to 7 coping actions. Put the easiest at the top, because you may not have energy for complex steps.

Ideas to consider:

Change your environment: Move to a different room, step outside, sit somewhere brighter.
Reduce stimulation: Lower lights, turn off distressing media, put phone on do-not-disturb.
Meet basic needs: Drink water, eat something simple, take prescribed medication as directed.
Do one ‘tiny task’: Shower, brush teeth, put on clean clothes, open a window.
Contact a safe person with a simple message such as “Can you stay on the phone with me for 10 minutes?”
Use distraction that truly absorbs you: A familiar TV show, a puzzle, a simple game, folding laundry.
Use soothing sensory input: Warm drink, blanket, calming scent, music.
Write down the thoughts that feel urgent, then write one practical next step.

One helpful rule is ‘reduce risk, then reduce distress’. If you feel unsafe, focus on immediate safety and support. If you feel distressed but safe, focus on calming and stabilising.

If you are making a plan for suicidal thoughts, keep your first steps very concrete. For example: ‘Move to the living room. Put the kettle on. Text my friend. Read my reasons to stay safe. Then call a support line if thoughts remain intense’.

Grounding and Calming Techniques

Grounding and calming techniques help your nervous system settle when anxiety, panic, dissociation or overwhelm rises. They do not remove the problem that caused your distress, but they can lower the intensity enough for you to choose your next step.

Pick techniques that match your most common crisis state:

If you feel panicky and on edge, use breath, movement and sensory anchors.
If you feel numb, shut down or dissociated, use stronger sensory input and physical grounding.
If you feel agitated or angry, use discharge techniques like walking or muscle tension and release.

Practical grounding options to include in your plan:

5-4-3-2-1: Name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.
Longer exhale breathing: Breathe in normally, then breathe out slowly for longer than the in-breath, repeating a few times.
Box breathing: Inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4, repeat.
Feet on floor: Press feet into the ground for 10 seconds, release, repeat.
Cold sensation: Splash cool water on your face or hold a cold drink, if that helps you reset.
Orientation statements: “I am at home. Today is __. I am safe enough right now.”
A grounding object: A textured keyring, stone or fabric in your pocket that you can touch and describe.

If you want a quick refresher on grounding ideas, you can use the practical tools on NHS Every Mind Matters.

A key tip: practise these techniques when you feel calm. In a crisis, your thinking brain goes offline. Practising builds muscle memory so the techniques feel familiar when you need them most.

Reasons to Stay Safe

This part can feel emotional, and some people avoid it because it makes them cry. Yet it can be one of the most powerful sections, because it speaks to the part of you that wants relief, not death.

‘Reasons to stay safe’ should not be a lecture. They should be personal, specific and honest. Some reasons will be big, like people you love. Others will be small, like your dog or the smell of coffee. Small reasons count.

Ideas you might include:

People: Children, partner, friends, siblings, neighbours, colleagues.
Responsibilities: Caring for a pet, a role you value, a commitment next week.
Values: Kindness, curiosity, faith, justice, creativity, growth.
Future moments: A concert, a holiday, a meal, a walk you enjoy.
Pride: Times you survived before, parts of you that keep going.
Recovery truth: “Feelings change. Urges rise and fall. I don’t have to act on them.”

If you find it hard to write this section, try one sentence starter: “If I can get through tonight, then __.” Another is: “Even if I can’t feel hope right now, I can borrow hope from __.”

Some people also add a ‘reminder list’ that counters crisis thinking, such as: “I have felt certain before and it passed” or “My brain tells me I’m a burden when I’m unwell.”

Who to Contact in a Crisis

List your contacts in the order you would actually use them. In a crisis, too many options can make you freeze. Therefore, aim for a short ladder of support: one or two trusted people, then professional support, then emergency.

Include for each contact:

Name and relationship.
Phone number.
Best times to contact them.
What you want from them (call, visit, sit with you, help you get to A&E).
A backup contact if they cannot respond.

Example wording:

“Sam – friend. Call any time. I need you to stay on the phone and help me decide next steps.”
“Mum – call between 7 am and 10 pm. I need you to come over or arrange a lift.”
“Neighbour – if I need someone to sit with me while I call 111.”

For professional and anonymous support in the UK, you might include:

The NHS urgent mental health help page, which explains how to access urgent support.
Samaritans for 24/7 listening support.
Shout for free, confidential 24/7 text support by texting SHOUT to 85258.
The helpline list on Mind’s mental health helplines, especially if you want alternatives beyond one service.

If you support someone else, ask them who they would accept help from. In a crisis, consent and trust matter. It also helps to agree in advance what you will do if they cannot keep themselves safe.

What to Say When Calling

Many people delay reaching out because they do not know what to say. In a crisis, the fear of sounding dramatic can be as powerful as the distress itself. Scripts help because they remove decision-making.

Here are short scripts you can copy into your plan.

If calling a friend or family member:

“I’m not okay right now. I need someone to stay with me or stay on the phone.”
“My anxiety is high and I feel unsafe. Can you help me take the next step?”
“Can you come over, or can we make a plan together for the next hour?”

If texting someone:

“Can you call me? I’m struggling and I need support.”
“I’m having a rough night. Can you check in with me for 10 minutes?”

If contacting NHS 111 (mental health option where available) or an urgent line:

“I’m calling because my mental health has worsened and I’m worried about my safety.”
“I’m having suicidal thoughts / strong urges to self-harm and I need urgent support.”
“I’m safe right now but I don’t think I will stay safe without help.”
“I’m alone / I have someone with me.”
“I have a crisis plan and I can read it to you.”

If going to A&E or speaking to a crisis team:

“I need an urgent mental health assessment. I’m struggling to keep myself safe.”
“My symptoms have escalated in the last __ hours/days.”
“I’ve tried these coping steps: __. They haven’t been enough.”

If speaking feels hard, write your key points in a note on your phone. You can read it out. You can also hand it to staff if you attend in person.

NHS Crisis Support Options

The UK has several routes for urgent mental health support, and the best option depends on urgency, risk and local services.

Urgent support through NHS 111

The NHS advises that if you need urgent help for your mental health, you can contact NHS 111 online or by phone and select the mental health option, where available, to be directed to the right service and potentially speak to a trained mental health professional. The details are explained on the NHS urgent mental health help page.

Local crisis teams and urgent mental health lines

Many areas have crisis teams or urgent mental health services, sometimes accessed through NHS 111 or through local trust numbers. If you already have a care coordinator or community mental health team, include their details and out-of-hours advice in your plan.

GP and NHS talking therapies

For ongoing support, a crisis plan can also support conversations with your GP or with NHS talking therapies. If you are in England, you may be able to self-refer to talking therapies services, and your GP can also refer or advise. A crisis plan helps you explain patterns, risk and what has helped before. It turns a vague ‘I’m struggling’ into specific information.

Charity support alongside NHS care

Charities can be an important part of crisis support, especially for out-of-hours listening and de-escalation. For example, you can call Samaritans any time, and you can text Shout for 24/7 text support.

If you find services confusing, include a ‘one-page routes list’ in your plan: first choice, second choice, emergency choice. That way you do not have to decide in the moment.

When to Call 111 or 999

This part of a crisis plan reduces hesitation. Many people worry about ‘wasting time’. Yet it is better to seek help early than to wait until you cannot think straight.

Call 111 (or use NHS 111 online) when:

You need urgent mental health support and you are struggling to cope.
Your symptoms are escalating and you worry they may become unsafe.
You need advice on what service to use, especially out of hours.
You need to speak to a trained professional or be directed to local crisis services.

Use the guidance on the NHS urgent mental health help page, which explains urgent options and how to access them.

Call 999 or go to A&E when:

Someone’s life is at risk.
You have taken actions that could cause serious harm.
You feel unable to keep yourself or someone else safe right now.
You are experiencing severe symptoms that require immediate response.

If you are supporting someone else and you are unsure, you can still seek urgent advice. In a crisis, safety matters more than being polite.

How to Remove Immediate Risks

This section is about making it harder to act on impulses in a high-risk moment. Urges often rise and fall like a wave. If you can create a delay and reduce access to immediate means, you increase the chance that the urge will pass or that help will arrive in time.

Keep this section practical and specific, but do not make it overwhelming. Choose a few steps that fit your life.

Ideas include:

Move to a safer space in your home, such as a communal area rather than being alone in a bedroom.
If being alone increases risk, plan in advance where you could go, such as a friend’s house or a public place.
Ask a trusted person to stay with you or check in regularly during high-risk periods.
Store medications safely and follow dispensing guidance from your pharmacist or GP if you are concerned about risk.
Reduce access to items that you associate with self-harm urges by locking them away, putting them out of reach, or asking someone else to hold them temporarily.
Limit alcohol and substances, because they can lower inhibition and increase impulsivity.
If you live with someone, agree on a simple safety routine such as “I will not be alone when I feel this bad.”

If you are supporting someone else, talk about this section when they are calm. Agree what you can do and what you cannot do. You might say: “I can hold onto your medication for a few days if you want, but I can’t monitor you 24/7. Let’s add professional support to the plan too.”

If you feel unable to keep yourself safe, do not rely on ‘removing risks’ alone. Contact urgent services, because you deserve support beyond self-management.

A crisis plan works best when the right people can access it quickly. However, sharing can feel vulnerable. You may worry about judgement, burdening others or losing privacy. You can share selectively and still get the benefits.

Who to share with:

One or two trusted friends or family members.
A partner, if that feels safe.
A carer or support worker.
Your GP practice, therapist or care coordinator.
Your workplace, if you have a supportive manager and you want reasonable adjustments.

How to share:

Save a copy in your phone notes with a clear title like ‘Crisis Plan’.
Print one copy and keep it somewhere easy to find.
Share a digital copy with a trusted person, such as by email or a shared document.
Keep a ‘short version’ that fits on one screen: warning signs, first steps, key contacts.

If you are supporting someone else, agree boundaries early. For example:

What times can you be contacted?
What help can you offer (call, visit, lift to A&E)?
What do you do if they do not answer?
When will you involve emergency services?

Being clear is kind. It reduces panic and resentment later. It also protects the relationship.

A final note: do not share your plan widely in the hope that ‘someone will notice’. Instead, choose specific people and tell them directly what you need.

A Printable Crisis Plan Template

You can copy this template into a document, print it or keep it in your phone. Keep it to one or two pages if possible.

CRISIS PLAN (UK)

My details
Name:
Date of birth:
Address (optional):
NHS number (optional):
Key diagnoses (if any):
Medication (name, dose, when):
Allergies / medical info (optional):
My goal
My goal in a crisis is to stay alive, reduce harm, and get support.
Warning signs (yellow signs)

High-risk warning signs (red signs)

Triggers that worsen things

Coping strategies to try first (in order)

Grounding and calming techniques that work for me

Reasons to stay safe (keep it personal)

People who can help (in order)
Person 1: Name, number, what I need, best time
Person 2: Name, number, what I need, best time
Backup:
Professional support (UK)
GP practice number:
NHS 111: use the mental health option where available
Local crisis line / mental health trust number:
Samaritans: 116 123
Shout: text SHOUT to 85258
What to say when I call
“I’m calling because __.”
“I’m worried about __.”
“I’ve tried __.”
“I need __.”
Safer environment steps

Where I will go if I feel unsafe:
Who can stay with me:
What I will move/lock away:
Alcohol/substance plan:

Preferences if I need professional help
What helps staff support me:
What makes things worse:
Communication needs (e.g. I struggle to speak when overwhelmed):
Who should be involved in decisions (if anyone):

Date created:
Date to review:

If you want an established safety plan format, the Staying Safe safety plan provides a structured template that many people find easy to use.

A Completed Crisis Plan Example

Seeing a completed example can help you write your own. This is a fictional example, and you should tailor yours to your own life.

CRISIS PLAN (Example)

My details
Name: Alex
Medication: Sertraline 100 mg daily. Propranolol as prescribed for anxiety.
Notes: When I’m distressed, I struggle to speak and I can’t think clearly.
My goal
Stay alive, avoid self-harm, and get support within 30 minutes of red signs.
Warning signs (yellow signs)

Sleeping poorly and waking early.
Cancelling plans and ignoring messages.
Constant worry about work mistakes.
Eating very little and feeling shaky.

High-risk warning signs (red signs)

Suicidal thoughts feel urgent.
Strong urge to self-harm.
I start giving away belongings or writing goodbye messages.
I feel I can’t keep myself safe alone.

Triggers that worsen things

Work conflict or feeling criticised.
Being alone late at night.
Drinking alcohol when I feel low.
Anniversaries related to a past loss.

Coping strategies to try first (in order)

Move to living room, turn on lights, drink water.
Do 5-4-3-2-1 grounding twice.
Text Sam: “Can you call me now? I’m struggling.”
Put on my “safe” TV show and hold my grounding stone while breathing out slowly.
If still high-risk after 20 minutes, call NHS 111 mental health option or contact Shout.
Grounding and calming techniques that work for me

Feet press into floor, 10 seconds on, 10 seconds off.
Longer exhales, in 3 out 5, for five rounds.
Cold water on wrists if panic spikes.
Orientation statements: “I am at home. It’s Tuesday. I am safe enough right now.”

Reasons to stay safe

My sister and my nephew.
My cat depends on me.
I want to see my friend’s wedding in the summer.
I know urges pass even when they feel permanent.

People who can help (in order)

Sam (friend) – call any time. I need him to stay on the phone and help me call services.
Sister – call 7 am to 10 pm. I need her to come over or arrange a lift.
Backup: Neighbour – can sit with me while I call for help.

Professional support (UK)
GP practice: number saved in phone.
NHS 111: use the mental health option where available.
Samaritans: 116 123.
Shout: text SHOUT to 85258.
What to say when I call
“I’m not safe on my own right now. My suicidal thoughts have escalated tonight. I’ve tried grounding and contacting a friend, but I still feel at risk. I need urgent support and advice on the next step.”
Safer environment steps

I will stay in the living room rather than going to bed alone.
I will not drink alcohol when I feel low.
I will ask my sister to hold onto extra medication for 72 hours if I’m in a red period.
I will ask someone to stay with me if risk is high.

Preferences

Speak slowly and ask one question at a time.
If I can’t speak, let me show my notes.
Do not leave me alone in a waiting area if I say I feel unsafe.

Review date: 1 month from now, then every 3 months.

This example shows a key point: the plan is short, action-focused and written in plain language. It doesn’t rely on motivation. It relies on steps.

Conclusion

A crisis plan is one of the most practical ways to protect yourself when your mental health dips sharply. It turns “I don’t know what to do” into a short list of actions: warning signs, triggers, coping strategies, grounding tools, reasons to stay safe and clear contacts. It also helps friends, family and professionals support you faster, because they do not have to guess what you need.

Keep your plan realistic. Put the easiest steps first. Practise the calming tools when you feel steady. Share the plan with a small number of trusted people and agree boundaries if you are supporting someone else. Then review it regularly, because your needs may change.

Most importantly, remember this: needing a crisis plan does not mean you are weak. It means you are taking your safety seriously. If you ever feel unable to keep yourself safe, reach out for urgent support straight away, using the routes on the NHS urgent mental health help page or by calling emergency services if there is immediate danger.

Crisis Plan: What to Include

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