I call the crisis hotline when I am feeling especially crazy. I don't like always sharing with my extremely supportive husband. When I am feeling too extreme nothing he does will be right. He will try to hug me, or calm me down in some silly joking way, or change the subject to try to get my mind on other things. I need to know I am in the hands of some trained specialist who isn't going to freak out or mind that I am having a bad moment - near panic attack crazies. So, I begin talking to them by saying, "I am not a danger to myself or to anyone else, but I am having a panic attack (or manic or depression) and I want someone to talk to me for a few minutes".

You know, I feel like I am handling myself very well when I do this. Because as supportive as my hubby is, it is not always his business when I am feeling crazy. Also, they have some semblance of authority, so if they tell me to breath, I won't get angry like I might if my husband says anything I interpret as 'wrong'. I figure the professionals know that I am handling myself right by calling them, and they have the abc's of how to calm us down if we listen. And later - I don't have to feel like I have to apologize or explain myself to anyone, since I kept family out of it.

Hope this helps - best of luck to us all.

Edit added:
I just had a lot of fun sharing this letter with my husband. He said, you know I hear everything anyway". I said, "ya, but you know sometimes its none of your darn business how I am feeling". He just teased and made jokes. But I really hope you understand. Calling the crisis line is a great idea. I hate feeling like my family always has to deal with my emotions - or if they have had to, like I have to be especially nice the next day. I don't like feeling like I have to "pay" them back for my emotions. Like I owe them something for helping me. So for me personally, I have used these methods: crisis line, call my ahrms worker (professional mental health and lifestyle assistant) e-mailed them. I set up an e-mail with my ahrms worker like this - I said, if you don't need to read it, I will put that in the subject line, then if its 3 am and I don't want to call the crisis line, I can just e-mail you a crazy long letter and you don't have to read it.

Reaching out to professionals rather then my family free's me from personal guilt over sharing my emotions.

Edit added #2 - When I stayed at a professional facility that offered pamphlets and classes on what to do during crisis situation they also had stuff to share with family. Write down things you need during those bad situations and share them with your people who you will call. They probably have some of this information right here on Psych Central. I would find people who are ok with you calling or e-mailing, and when you are well - share with them the steps they need to take when you call. ID: Tell me to breath, hug me, validate my emotions. Stuff like that. Good luck!