## Highlights - Tips for those who care about you and/or who are part of your support 1. Firstly, as noted, do everything in your power to reduce the need for an emotional crash in the first instance - in other words, eliminate anxiety wherever and whenever possible 2. Make sure that the person and anyone else present is safe but never assume that physical control over the person (i.e restraint) should ever be a preferred option unless there is be a last resort, it should be rare in the extreme literally no other way to keep safe. Restraint should not only then, we should be working out a way for it never to happen again. If restraint is being used with any frequency at all environment wrong and it needs urgent attention. during emotional crashes then we have absolutely got the 3. Do as much homework as possible prior to the crash in the throes of an emotional crash one of the last things to expect is some kind of detailed discussion as to what a person's preferences might be - getting this information during a time - when of calm is infinitely a better option. 4. If a person is experiencing an emotional crash, do as much as possible to take any pressure off that person, whatever that might be. For some this could be not expecting them to place is the best option. 5. Take as much attention off the person as possible – having a focus on you while you're at your most vulnerable can be agonizing. 6. While taking note of point four, bear in mind that some people will be greatly reassured by the presence of a trusted 'safe' person. 7. Take as much control over the situation as the person requires - it will be easier for a person to get through an emotional crash without having to make ongoing decisions themselves so long as someone else can make the right decisions on their behalf. 8. Remember that sensory experiences might well be heightened during an emotional crash - so make sure that you have an understanding of sensory needs at these times. 9. Never appoint blame or indicate that the emotional crash is anything other than an inevitable culmination of anxiety caused by the environment. 10. Recognize the amount of time that a person needs to recover, and provide the time and space to do so. 11. Never put pressure on a person to come out of an emotional crash until they are ready to do so remember, the individual is not in control and being encouraged to 'snap out of it' is likely to cause more damage than is already being done. 12. Recognize that the person is likely to feel extremely vulnerable during and after an emotional crash - reassurance and reiteration of a no blame culture could be significantly important here. (Page 30)