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Crisis resources
No appointment is needed, no diagnosis, and no polished words. Reach out in whichever way feels possible right now. Every service below is free, confidential, and staffed around the clock.
In immediate danger? Call 911.
The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline answers day and night. Dial or text 988, or use the chat at 988lifeline.org. If speaking out loud is hard, the chat runs over Wi-Fi.
The Crisis Text Line connects you with a live counselor entirely by message. Send HOME to 741741, or open the chat at crisistextline.org.
The NAMI HelpLine offers information, referrals, and support from people who know mental illness personally. More at nami.org.
The Trevor Project serves LGBTQIA+ young people around the clock: phone 1-866-488-7386, text START to 678-678, or chat at thetrevorproject.org.
The Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1, or send a text to 838255. VA enrollment is not required to call.
When anyone is in immediate danger, call 911. If another number on this page ever fails to connect, 911 is the one that always answers.
Try the senses exercise. Find 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste. Then slow your breathing for one full minute. This practice is not an emergency service, and calling any line above is a strong step, not a failure.
You do not have to handle this perfectly to help. Stay close, in the room or on the phone. Ask plainly whether they are thinking of suicide; a direct question does not create the idea, and it makes an honest answer possible. When danger is immediate, call 911 together. When it is not, call or text 988 together and let the counselor guide what happens next. Showing up and dialing are most of the work.
A crisis line gets a person through the night. It does not have to carry the months after. Once things are steadier, ongoing care can begin with an ordinary appointment, and you do not need to already be a patient here, or to have the story tidy, to book one. A great deal of good treatment starts at exactly this point.
The same care and the same prescriber, whether your plan pays or you do.
