If you’re having a mental health crisis right now, and you’ve already taken action to end your life or someone else’s, call 9-1-1 or 9-8-8. If you’re afraid that will happen, but you haven’t taken action yet, call 9-8-8. This will connect you with first responders whose job is to help you buy some time. There is *always* hope. Here are some stories of suicide survivors want you to know there is hope (Trigger warnings included on each story page).
You can also try reaching out to a hotline or a warmline. Those are free, confidential phone lines that offer different kinds of support when a person needs connection. There are some key differences between warmlines and hotlines. Call a hotline when you are in crisis and are concerned about your ability to stay safe to yourself or others. Many hotlines will contact emergency services if the caller appears to be in a state where they cannot stay safe without the assistance of emergency responders (police, EMTs, etc.). Warmlines, on the other hand, are typically staffed by people who have been through the same challenges as you, and are most appropriate to call when you aren’t quite at the level of a crisis, but you don’t have any friends or family members immediately available to talk with you, and you really need some compassionate and supportive listening. Warmlines may or may not contact an emergency response team; most warmlines state on their website when they explicitly do not contact emergency responders.
If you need a relay service as a Deaf or Hard of Hearing Person, please see: https://www.mass.gov/massrelay
If you need in-person behavioral health care in Massachusetts, please seek out a Community Behavioral Health Center. I like to think of these centers as urgent care for mental health. You can learn more here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/what-to-expect
If you are seeking other resources, like food assistance, housing support, and other basic needs, call 2-1-1.
Here is a list of some hotlines for a mental health crisis or other emergency:
Suicide (National Suicide Prevention Hotline) * Call 1-800-273-8255 * en Espanol: 1-866-628-9454 * Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889 * Veterans: 1-800-273-8255 * Disaster Distress: 1-800-985-5990 * Text HOME to 741741
Self-Injury (S.A.F.E. From Self-Injury) * Call 1-800-366-8288
Domestic Violence – National Domestic Violence Hotline * Text ‘START’ to 88788 * Call: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Domestic Violence (SafeLink Massachusetts) * Call: 1-877-785-2020
Domestic Violence – LGBTQ (Network La/Red) * Call: 1-800-832-1901
LGBTQ Youth (The Trevor Project) * Call 1-866-488-7386 * Text START to 678678
Runaway Safeline * Call 1-800-786-2929 * Text 66008
Sexual Assault (RAINN) * Call 1-800-656-4673
These are non-crisis warmlines that can offer supportive, compassionate listening from a peer: *Note that these are not staffed 24/7
Abortion (Exhale After Abortion) * Call 1-866-439-4253 * Text HELPLINE to 313131
Bullying (Anonymous Bully Reporting Solution) * Call 1-800-420-1479 * https://www.stompoutbullying.org/helpchat
Eating Disorders (National Eating Disorders Association) * Call 1-800-931-2237
Eating Disorders Helpline (ANAD) * Call 1 (888)-375-7767
Grief (Grief Recovery Helpline) * Call 1-800-445-4808 * Text CARE to 839863
The GLBT National Youth Talkline (25 and under) * Call (800) 246-7743
LGBT National Senior Hotline * Call 1-888-234-7243
LGBTQIA+ (The LGBT National Hotline) * Call 1-888-843-4564
Mental Health (NAMI HelpLine) * Call 1-800-950-6264 * Text “Friend” to 62640
Parental Stress Line * Call 1-800-632-8188
Pregnancy, Infant, & Child Loss (Postpartum Support) * Call 1-800-944-4773 * Text in English: 800-944-4773 * Text en Español: 971-203-7773
These websites can help you find other helplines:
https://findahelpline.com/countries/us
https://www.mhselfhelp.org/warmlines
The following crisis lines do not contact emergency responders:
Transgender Individuals (Trans Lifeline) * Call 1-877-565-8860
THRIVE Lifeline: offers 24/7 text-based crisis support to anyone 18+ with specific focus on multiply marginalized communities * Text: 1-313-662-8209
Here are a few great resources that you can move through on your own, if you’d rather not contact a hotline or a warmline:
https://fireweedcollective.org/crisis-toolkit/
https://projectlets.org/emergency-action-for-panic-attacks
Warm, Affirming Psychotherapy for Healing and Growth 