If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please call 911
or go to the nearest hospital emergency room now.
Crisis Resources
About Hotlines & Warmlines
Common Reasons to Use a Hotline​​
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​You are having suicidal thoughts​​​
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You are worried that you may risk the safety of yourself or others​
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You are unable to stop using drugs or alcohol, or can't stop gambling​
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You are dealing with the loss of a loved one due to suicide or other sudden, violent means​
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You are not sure whether you need hospitalization to keep yourself safe​
Are you struggling, but not in crisis yet?​
Try a calling a warmline instead!
Warmlines are phone, text, and chat lines that are staffed by peer specialists—people with personal experience with mental health disorders. They are trained to provide support for daily concerns that do not require immediate intervention to keep you safe.
You may choose to contact a warmline when friends or family are unavailable, or if you're uncertain about how to share your concerns with them.
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Warmline.org keeps an up-to-date list of local and nationwide warmlines across the United States.
Confidentiality & Hotlines
Please keep in mind that many crisis line workers are mandated reporters and may breach confidentiality without your consent if they believe there is an immediate threat to yourself or others. The "active rescue" resource they typically contact are local police, which can lead to increased distress and a heightened risk of violence.
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If you're worried about police involvement, don’t hesitate to ask the crisis line worker about their organization's reporting policies before disclosing any details of your situation. Additionally, you can visit their website to locate their "Privacy Policy," which should clarify whether they have the authority to breach confidentiality without your consent.​
Police-free Resources
24/7 Hotlines
All of the hotlines listed below are accessible 24/7, year-round,
and are based in the United States. They offer services via phone, chat, and text.
They should not be considered replacements for professional mental health care
or for seeking emergency evaluation at a hospital.​​​
​Some hotlines are dedicated to specific crisis situations or populations.
You can jump to those sections using the links below.
Substance Abuse
Child Abuse
Domestic Violence (Intimate Partner Violence)
Sexual Violence
Graduate School Students
Pregnant & New Parents
Military Veterans
General Mental Health
Natural Disasters
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text: 988
Chat: https://chat.988lifeline.org/
Deaf/HoH services: https://988lifeline.org/​
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Text: HOME to 741741
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline
Call: 1-800-662-4357 (english or spanish)
Text: your 5-digit zipcode to 435748
Call or text: 1-800-985-5990 (english, spanish, deaf/HoH)
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
Call or text: 1-800-422-4453
National Sexual Assault Hotline
Call: 1-800-656-4673
Text: HOPE to 64673
WhatsApp: 1-202-834-9806
Chat: http://online.rainn.org/
Call: 1-877-472-3457
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
Call or text: 1-833-852-6262 (english or spanish)​​
​Veteran’s Crisis Line
Call: 988, then press 1
Text: 838255
Chat: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help-now/chat/
Crisis Safety Plans
Before you find yourself in crisis, it can be helpful to develop a personalized plan for how you and your loved ones can navigate a path to safety. The purpose of developing a safety plan is to attempt to maintain your autonomy and dignity during times when you might be unable to advocate for yourself.
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Many of these plans involve:
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Identifying your specific warning signs that indicate a crisis is approaching
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Outlining effective de-escalation strategies that work for you
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Listing preferred resources to contact if de-escalation does not work​
It is important to find a crisis safety plan that meets your individual needs and style. Below are links to a few different examples to explore.
Psychiatric Advanced Directives
An advanced directive, commonly known as a “living will,” is a legal document that clearly outlines your healthcare preferences and designates a trusted individual to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so. This document is created when you are in good health and capable of making informed decisions, rather than during a crisis.
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Psychiatric advanced directives serve to document your preferences about future mental health treatment and to appoint a health proxy who can articulate those preferences when you cannot. These directives are meant to cover scenarios where you might lose the ability to provide or withhold informed consent during acute psychiatric episodes.
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It's important to note that not all U.S. states have enacted statutes for psychiatric advanced directives. However, general advance directives for healthcare can often be utilized to guide certain types of mental health treatment in many states. State specific information and forms can be found here: State by State Info.