If someone may act on thoughts of self-harm now, or there is immediate danger, use the short urgent-help route.
If nobody is in immediate danger, start with Find A Helpline. Pick your country, then look through the phone, text, and chat services. A service's name may not make its purpose clear.
Choose by the job you need done
The World Health Organization describes crisis lines as a complement to other suicide-prevention services. A crisis line is somewhere to talk through the moment. Some lines cannot provide medical care or send an emergency team.
- Thinking about suicide or self-harm, in severe distress, or worried about somebody else? A crisis line is one place to talk now.
- For medication or a clinical assessment, look for an urgent health or mental-health service.
- When an appointment is soon enough, call your doctor or your usual mental-health service.
- If the problem involves violence, stalking, or coercive control, look for domestic-abuse specialists. The global domestic-abuse directories can help you look for one.
WHO's suicide questions and answers says to contact emergency services or a crisis line if someone is in immediate danger of self-harm. If you need help sent to you, check that the service can send it. The word "hotline" does not guarantee that it can.
Check whether you can use the service
Read the listing for:
- who the service supports and which country or region it covers;
- opening hours and time zone;
- language and disability-access options;
- phone, text, chat, or in-person access;
- call, message, data, or appointment costs;
- whether it provides support, clinical care, or emergency response.
Confirm current details on the individual service's page when you can.
Phone, text, and chat can leave records on a device, account, bill, or backup. The Safety Net Project's phone guide explains where those traces may appear. If another person monitors your technology, use a device they have not accessed when one is available.
You only need one opening sentence
Stuck for words? "I don't know what kind of help I need today" is enough. Calling about your spouse? "I'm worried about my spouse and don't know what to do next" works too.
If the first contact does not connect
Try another listed channel or service. When the need is not immediate, a doctor, mental-health service, or another crisis line may still be available. If danger becomes immediate, return to urgent local help.