From 50 emergency calls a month to none: Sarah’s story
It’s been two months since Sarah last dialled 999. Before that, there were times when she was calling the emergency services more than 50 times a month.
When things felt overwhelming, it felt like the only place for her to turn. Now things look very different for Sarah. She knows where to go for support and feels more in control of her life.
Sarah lives in Nottingham with her cat, Ross. Her flat is full of her personality. She loves music – especially JLS – and you can always find her singing and dancing around her living room.
But there have been times when things felt really difficult and overwhelming, and Sarah struggled to cope. Sometimes she harmed herself. When this happened, calling 999 felt like the only option for her, even when what she really needed was someone to listen.
In January, Sarah had a Living My Life conversation with her support team, focusing on what was going well, what she’s proud of and what matters most to her. From there, they explored what could be better and what Sarah wanted for her future. This kind of conversation helped Sarah feel heard and made sure her support reflected what matters to her. Sarah said she wanted to work on not calling 999 unless it was a real emergency.
One reason Sarah wanted to make this change was her uncle. He isn’t very well and she didn’t want to call 999 and take emergency services away from someone like him who might need them more.
Building a plan and feeling heard
With support from Emily, her key worker, Sarah created a plan. The plan includes what she enjoys, things that trigger her, what does and doesn’t help her in a crisis, her coping strategies, people she can turn to for support and the ways her support team can tell if she is struggling.
The plan is simple, but for Sarah it sets out exactly what she needs and when. It helps her team respond in the way that she needs when she is overwhelmed and struggling to cope.
Something as simple as: ‘Do not ask me if I am ok, at this point I am not ok. Wait for me to give you a thumbs up signal’, can make all the difference and will help Sarah in her recovery.
Alongside her plan, Sarah has started a journal. She writes down how she’s been feeling and gives it to Emily to read. It means Sarah knows her feelings are heard, even when she finds it hard to say everything out loud.
Today, Sarah has gone two months without calling 999.
Sarah says: “I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made. I can manage my mental health much better than before. I hope that by sharing my story I can help others who might be in a similar place and people feel like they are not alone with their mental health.”
It has made a huge difference to my life. Instead of spending hours waiting in hospital or staying overnight, I’m at home in my own space and my own bed where I feel happy and safe.
Emily said: “It has been inspiring to watch Sarah take control. She’s made such huge progress in such a short time. We might have given her tools like the crisis plan and journal and obviously we’ve cheered her along every step of the way, but she’s done all the work herself.”
This approach – starting with what matters to the person and building support around them – has helped Sarah feel more in control of her life.