Objective: Mental health crises are often described in terms of involuntary hospitalisation criteria or the presence or exacerbation of a psychiatric disorder that places people at risk of harm to themselves or others. However, there is limited research on the meaning of crisis from the perspective of people accessing crisis services. This paper reports on the subjective meaning of the construct of crisis that results in contact with crisis services. Method: This phenomenological study used in-depth interviews with 31 people who accessed emergency departments (ED), crisis alternatives, and crisis phone lines. Findings: The findings represent overlapping mental illness, life events/trauma, and existential explanations. Suicide featured strongly in accounts of crisis. However, the meaning of crisis was more complex and understood far beyond the risk of harm. The meaning of crisis was part of an ongoing rather than static narrative, often involving an initial adoption of clinical diagnosis with an eventual fuller understanding of crisis as part of the human condition. As such, participants viewed the crisis experience as meaningful and potentially transformative. Discussion: Crisis was predominantly understood as part of the human condition, regardless of whether people have a psychiatric diagnosis, suicidality, or trauma. Suggestions are offered concerning the ways insights from participants can be translated into crisis care that speaks to the person’s own understanding.