{"id":6323,"date":"2025-09-08T09:23:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T08:23:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/?page_id=6323"},"modified":"2025-09-08T09:23:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T08:23:07","slug":"sod-chapter-8-subchapter-7","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/sod-chapter-8-subchapter-7\/","title":{"rendered":"SOD Chapter 8 – Subchapter 7"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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8.7 Crisis intervention<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When someone with schizophrenia and a substance use disorder is in crisis, it’s crucial to handle the situation with care and attention. You need to be aware of any immediate dangers and have a clear plan to keep them safe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Developing a safety plan, identifying crisis triggers<\/strong>, and connecting them with emergency contacts<\/strong> can be life-saving. Involving family or friends can provide extra support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the crisis, regular check-ins<\/strong> and ongoing care<\/strong> are essential to ensure they stay safe and supported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This approach has been proven to work well in emergency situations, like preventing suicide.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Collaborating on a safety plan<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating a safety plan together can give the person a sense of empowerment and support.
This plan might include steps they can take if they ever feel overwhelmed – like reaching out to someone they trust<\/strong>, finding ways to make a safer environment<\/strong>, or using techniques that help them feel calm<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Recognizing triggers and early signs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking some time to explore what situations or feelings might lead to distress, such as increased anxiety or thoughts of selfharm<\/em><\/strong>, can help both of you understand when extra support might be needed<\/strong>. Talking openly about these signs can make them easier to recognize in the future.
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Exploring coping strategies<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considering strategies they\u2019ve found helpful before – like grounding exercises, deep breathing<\/strong>, or connecting with supportive people<\/strong> – can reinforce what already works for them. This can also be a way to introduce new ideas for coping that feel comfortable and manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Including supportive people in the plan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they\u2019re open to it, family members or close friends<\/strong> can play an important role in providing support. Letting these people know how they can help during tough moments can make everyone feel more connected and prepared<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Staying connected over time Checking-in regularly<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

can be a helpful way to see how things are going and adjust the plan as needed. These follow-ups can provide a sense of continuity<\/strong> and show that they\u2019re not alone<\/strong> in this process.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Example dialogue for initiating crisis intervention<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Let\u2019s come up with a plan together for when things start to feel difficult. We can include ways to recognize early signs, like feeling anxious or unsafe. How does that sound?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I think that could help, especially if there\u2019s a way to remind me what to do.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Absolutely! We can set up reminders and also add a few key contacts\u2014 family, friends, or anyone you trust. We can also include coping strategies. Do you think reaching out to [a supportive person\u2019s name] would be helpful when you’re feeling this way?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n



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This type of conversation creates a safe and collaborative space, helping the patient feel empowered and in control of their plan.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Back to chapter<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Next subchapter<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

8.7 Crisis intervention When someone with schizophrenia and a substance use disorder is in crisis, it’s crucial to handle the situation with care and attention. You need to be aware of any immediate dangers and have a clear plan to keep them safe. Developing a safety plan, identifying crisis triggers, and connecting them with emergency […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-sod.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rea_page_title_signed_in_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_title_signed_out_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_description_signed_in_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_description_signed_out_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_footer_id_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_footer_date_meta_block_field":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6323","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6323\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}