Right now

Get help now

Picking up the phone is the hard part. The people on these lines do this all day, they have heard it all, and they are genuinely glad you called.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

988

If you are in crisis or just barely hanging on, call or text 988 and a real person will answer. You do not have to be suicidal to reach out; feeling overwhelmed is reason enough.

Text 988

24/7, free, confidential

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SAMHSA National Helpline

1 800 662 4357

A free treatment and referral line for drinking, drugs, and mental health. They will not lecture you; they will help you find local meetings, treatment, and support, whether or not you have insurance.

Text your zip code to 435748

24/7, 365 days a year, free, confidential

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Crisis Text Line

Text HOME to 741741

If talking on the phone feels like too much, text HOME to 741741 and a trained volunteer will text you back. Sometimes it is easier to type what you cannot say out loud.

24/7, free, confidential

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Veterans Crisis Line

988, then press 1

For veterans, service members, and their families, dial 988 and then press 1, or text 838255. You do not need to be enrolled in VA care to talk to someone who gets it.

Text 838255

24/7, free, confidential

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What to expect

What happens when you call 988

A trained counselor answers, usually within a minute. It is a real person, not a menu or a robot, and their whole job is to be there for this call.

It is free and it is confidential. You do not need insurance, you do not have to give your name, and nothing you say gets used against you.

They listen first, then they help you figure out the next step, whatever it is. You do not need to be in a suicidal crisis to call; struggling is enough.

In an emergency

If you or someone else is in immediate physical danger, or someone has overdosed, call 911 right now. Do not wait to see if it gets better.

If opioids may be involved, say so when you call. Many first responders carry naloxone (Narcan), and knowing what is in someone’s system helps them act faster.

We are not doctors or therapists, and this page is not treatment. It is a signpost, meant to point you toward people who can actually help.