Crisis Help: United States

If you’re in crisis right now, you’re not alone. Help is available immediately, free, and confidential.

⚠️ Content note: This page discusses suicide, abuse, self-harm, and violence. If this is overwhelming right now, you can just call the number below. You don’t have to read everything.

🚨 RIGHT NOW: Call This Number

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Phone: Call or text 988
Older number (still forwards to 988): 1-800-273-8255
Chat: 988lifeline.org/chat
Hours: 24/7, 365 days a year
Cost: FREE
Languages: English, Spanish

What happens:

Free, confidential support
Trained counselors listen without judgment
Can help with suicidal thoughts, emotional crisis, mental health
988 aims for the least-invasive help; it involves emergency services only in rare cases of imminent, life-threatening risk (fewer than ~2% of contacts)

Other Crisis Options (Choose What Works for You)

Mental Health Crisis

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255 (24/7)

Mental health support and crisis intervention
Text or chat available
Spanish available

SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357 (24/7)

Mental health treatment referrals
Free, confidential
Multilingual

Suicidal Thoughts

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 (24/7)

Specifically trained in suicide prevention
Can help you stay safe right now

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 (24/7)

Prefer texting? This is for you
Free, confidential
85,000+ trained volunteer counselors

Abuse or Violence

Sexual Assault (RAINN): 1-800-656-4673 (24/7)

Confidential support for survivors
Chat available: rainn.org/chat
Also helps with prevention and reporting

Domestic Violence: 1-800-799-7233 (24/7)

Safety planning
Information about shelters
Legal advocacy and referrals
TTY: 1-800-787-3224

Child Abuse: 1-800-422-4453 (24/7)

Report child abuse
Support for abuse survivors
TTY: 1-800-222-4523

Youth Crisis (Under 25)

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 (24/7)

Especially helpful for young people
Text-based support

The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ Youth): 1-866-488-7386 (24/7)

For LGBTQ+ youth under 25
Crisis intervention and peer support

LGBTQ+ Crisis

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7)

LGBTQ+ youth crisis support (under 25)
Crisis Text: Text START to 678678
Chat available

Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860 (Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm Pacific)

Trans and non-binary specific support
Run by trans people for trans people
Does not contact emergency services without your consent

Disability-Specific Crisis Support

Why this section matters: Disabled people often need support that understands disability. These services do.

Disability and Disaster Hotline: 1-800-626-4959 (call or text, 24/7)

Disability-specific crisis and emergency support
Understands accessibility needs
Multilingual
Can help with emergency preparedness and equipment access

National Disability Rights Network: 202-408-9514

Legal advocacy for disabled people
Can help with abuse/neglect in facilities
Connects to Protection & Advocacy in your state

Substance Use Crisis

SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357 (24/7)

Free treatment referrals
Mental health + substance use
Confidential
No insurance needed
Multilingual

Veterans Crisis

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988, then press 1 (24/7)

By veterans, for veterans
Free, confidential
Does not require VA enrollment
Text: 838255
Chat: VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat

Emergency: Life-Threatening

Immediate life-threatening danger:

Call 911 for ambulance and police
Go to nearest emergency room
Call 911 if you can’t leave safely

What to Say When You Call

You don’t need perfect words. Counselors are trained to help. Just say:

“I’m in crisis”
“I’m thinking about suicide”
“I need to talk to someone”
“I’m struggling”

That’s enough. They’ll take it from there.

Accessibility & Contact Methods

For Deaf/Hard of Hearing

TTY/TDD: 988lifeline.org has video relay options
Text services: Crisis Text Line (TEXT HOME to 741741)
Video relay: Available on 988lifeline.org
Chat services: Available on most hotlines

For Blind/Low Vision

All services available by phone
Chat available on websites (screen-reader compatible)
Text services available

For People Who Can’t Speak

Text services: Crisis Text Line (741741), Suicide Lifeline (text 988)
Chat services: Available on most hotlines
Speech-to-text: Can use with phone services

For Spanish Speakers

988 available in Spanish
Spanish Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-888-628-9454 (24/7)
Most major hotlines have Spanish options

Multiple Languages

SAMHSA: 180+ languages available
Crisis Text Line: Multiple languages
Disability and Disaster Hotline: Multiple languages

After You Call

Crisis lines help you get through RIGHT NOW. After that:

Immediate After

Rest (if possible)
Contact someone you trust
Do something that helped before (if safe)

Finding Ongoing Support

Free treatment referrals:

Call SAMHSA: 1-800-662-4357
Call NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-NAMI (Monday-Friday 10am-10pm ET)

Find a therapist:

Mental Health America: mhanational.org
Psychology Today: psychologytoday.com (searchable directory)
Ask your doctor for referrals

Local mental health services:

Contact your county mental health office
Call your primary care doctor
Search SAMHSA’s National Helpline directory

Important Information

Cost

Most services listed are free, but cost and hours vary by service — check each one. The core lines (988, Crisis Text Line, the Trevor Project) are free.

Confidentiality

Confidential by default. 988 may share identifying information or involve emergency services only in rare cases of imminent, life-threatening risk, when required by law, or under a valid court order — a small minority of contacts, and centers try least-invasive options first. Individual crisis centers also set their own policies.

Hours

Most services run 24/7, but some (e.g., Trans Lifeline, NAMI HelpLine) have limited hours — check each listing.

You Can Call Multiple Times

Many people use crisis services multiple times. That’s normal. You’re welcome to call back.

You’re Not “Sick Enough” to Call

If you’re asking: “Am I bad enough to call?” → You are. Call.

Crisis lines help with:

Suicidal thoughts
Self-harm urges
Severe anxiety or panic
Feeling overwhelmed or hopeless
Depression or emotional distress
Just needing to talk

All of these are valid reasons to call.

Confirm each number with the service before calling; details can change.

In crisis right now? Call or text 988. Everything else can wait.

Cost, confidentiality, and hours vary by service — check each listing.

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