A Difficult Day: My Next-Step Plan
Prepare this short plan when you have time, then keep it somewhere easy to find. It is a personal support aid, not a risk score or a substitute for a clinician-developed crisis plan.
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No email or account is required. Use the PDF or printed spaces for private notes. This guide does not collect worksheet answers. Save and reopen a completed PDF to check your notes.
Decide what kind of help is needed
Choose the appropriate next contact
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| Immediate physical danger, suspected overdose, inability to awaken or serious breathing difficulty | Call 911. For possible opioid overdose, give naloxone if available and stay with the person. Do not finish the worksheet first. |
| Emotional distress or a mental-health, suicide or substance-use crisis | In the U.S., call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can also contact 988 because you are worried about someone else. |
| A difficult moment without immediate danger | Use your chosen support contact and care-team instructions. Say what help you need now. |
Make the first action easy to begin
Asking clearly for the help you want can make a conversation more useful. You might want someone to listen, help call your clinician, or stay with you while you reach support. Choose a person or service you can actually contact and include a backup.
Sources: [4]
Pick one non-medical action that has helped you before, such as moving to a familiar calmer place, pausing a stressful task, or calling a supportive person. Treat it as a bridge to support, not a requirement to manage distress alone. If you already have a clinical safety plan, keep it with this card and use its instructions.
Sources: [4]
My quick-use card
- I notice I need support when…
- A few words in your own language; this is not a symptom score.
- My first manageable action
- An action that fits your situation and any care-team guidance.
- My first contact and what I will ask
- Name/service, number, likely availability and one specific request.
- My backup contact
- Who or which service I will try if the first person cannot help.
- Professional advice I already have
- Where I keep it and the clinician/service number for questions.
After the moment has passed
- What helped or needs changing
- Something to bring to the next appointment or use to revise this plan.
Keep completed notes private. Share only what you choose with the people helping you. These are original educational and planning prompts, not a validated assessment.