Action Plan for Mental Health Patients - Preventing Anxiety Symptoms

Page 8 of 8

Using Your Action Plans

You have now completed your action plans for prevention and recovery. At first, you will need to spend 15-20 minutes each day reviewing your plans. People report that the morning, either before or after breakfast, is the best time to review the book. As you become familiar with your daily list, triggers, symptoms, and plans, you will find the review process takes less time and that you will know how to respond without even referring to the book.

Begin with Section 1. Review the list of how you are if you are all right. If you are all right, do the things on your list of things you need to do every day to keep yourself well. Also refer to the page of things you may need to do to see if anything "rings a bell" with you. If it does, make a note to yourself to include it in your day. If you are not feeling all right, review the other sections to see where the symptoms you are experiencing fit. Then follow the action plan you have designed.

For instance, if you feel very anxious and know that it is because one of your triggers happened, follow the plan in the triggers section.

If there weren't any particular triggers but you noticed some early warning signs, follow the plan you designed for that section. If you notice symptoms that indicate things are breaking down, follow the plan you developed there.

If you are in a crisis situation, the plans can help you realize it so you can let your supporters know they should take over. However, in certain crisis situations, you may not be aware or willing to admit that you are in crisis. This is why having a strong team of supporters is so important. They will observe the symptoms you have reported and take over responsibility for your care, whether or not you are willing to admit you are in a crisis at that time. Distributing your crisis plan to your supporters and discussing it with them is absolutely essential to your safety and well-being.

You may want to take your plan or parts of your plan to the copy shop to get a reduced-size copy to carry in your pocket, purse, or glove compartment of your car. Then you can refer to the plan if triggers or symptoms come up when you are away from home.

People who are using these plans regularly and updating them as necessary are finding that they have fewer difficult times, and that when they do have a hard time, it is not as bad as it used to be and it doesn't last as long.

Further Resources

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Center for Mental Health Services
Web site: www.samhsa.gov

SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center
P.O. Box 42557
Washington, D.C. 20015
1 (800) 789-2647 (voice)
Web site: mentalhealth.samhsa.gov

Consumer Organization and Networking Technical Assistance Center
(CONTAC)
P.O. Box 11000
Charleston, WV 25339
1 (888) 825-TECH (8324)
(304) 346-9992 (fax)
Web site: www.contac.org

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
(formerly the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association)
730 N. Franklin Street, Suite 501
Chicago, IL 60610-3526
(800) 826-3632
Web site: www.dbsalliance.org

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)
(Special Support Center)
Colonial Place Three
2107 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22201-3042
(703) 524-7600
Web site: www.nami.org

National Empowerment Center
599 Canal Street, 5 East
Lawrence, MA 01840
1-800-power2u
(800)TDD-POWER (TDD)
(978)681-6426 (fax)
Web site: www.power2u.org

National Mental Health Consumers'
Self-Help Clearinghouse
1211 Chestnut Street, Suite 1207
Philadelphia, PA 19107
1 (800) 553-4539 (voice)
(215) 636-6312 (fax)
e-mail: info@mhselfhelp.org
Web site: www.mhselfhelp.org

Resources listed in this document do not constitute an endorsement by CMHS/SAMHSA/HHS, nor are these resources exhaustive. Nothing is implied by an organization not being referenced.

Acknowledgements

This publication was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), and prepared by Mary Ellen Copeland, M.S., M.A., under contract number 99M005957. Acknowledgment is given to the many mental health consumers who worked on this project offering advice and suggestions.

Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this document reflect the personal opinions of the author and are not intended to represent the views, positions, or policies of CMHS, SAMHSA, DHHS, or other agencies or offices of the Federal Government.

For additional copies of this document, please call SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center at 1-800-789-2647.

Originating Office
Center for Mental Health Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 15-99
Rockville, MD 20857
SMA-3720

Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

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