Get help now
If you or someone else is in danger right now, call 911. For a mental health or emotional crisis, call or text 988. It is free and open every day, all day.
Right now
Call or text 988
Reach a trained crisis counselor. Free, any time.
Chat online
Chat with a counselor at chat.988lifeline.org.
Veterans and service members
Dial 988, then press 1. Or text 838255.
En español
Llame al 988 y oprima 2.
Deaf and hard of hearing
Use the 988 ASL videophone, or dial 711 then 988 by TTY.
Danger right now
Call 911. Say it is a mental health emergency and ask for a crisis-trained officer or a mobile crisis team if your area has one.
What happens when you call 988
- You hear a short greeting and the options (veterans, Spanish). Then you are connected to a trained counselor at a crisis center.
- The counselor listens, helps you feel safer, and talks through what is going on. You do not have to be thinking about suicide to call.
- If you want, they help you find local support: a mobile crisis team, a crisis center, or care for the next few days.
- Most calls end with a plan made together. 988 counselors are trained to use the least intrusive help that keeps you safe.
988 is also for people worried about someone else. You can call for a friend, a child, or a parent.
Crisis help near you
Many communities have a mobile crisis team that comes to you, a crisis center you can walk into, or a crisis stabilization unit for a short stay. Use your location or ZIP code to see what is listed in your state.
Find crisis help near me
Your location stays on this device. It is only used to pick your state, and it is never sent or saved.
Not a crisis? Warmlines
A warmline is a free phone line answered by peers, people who have lived with mental health challenges themselves. Call when you are lonely, stressed, or need someone to talk to, before things become a crisis.
- Find your state warmline (warmline.org keeps a national list).
- The NAMI HelpLine, 800-950-6264, or text "NAMI" to 62640. Weekdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern. It helps with information and referrals. It is not a crisis line.
Lines for specific needs
| Who | Line | How |
|---|---|---|
| Anyone in crisis | 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline | Call or text 988, or chat online |
| Anyone who prefers to text | Crisis Text Line | Text HOME to 741741 |
| Veterans, service members, and families | Veterans Crisis Line | Dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255 |
| Pregnant people and new parents | National Maternal Mental Health Hotline | 833-852-6262, call or text |
| Substance use treatment help | SAMHSA National Helpline | 800-662-4357, free and confidential |
| After a disaster | Disaster Distress Helpline | 800-985-5990, call or text |
| LGBTQ+ young people | The Trevor Project | 866-488-7386, or text and chat online |
After a crisis
The days after a crisis matter. A few steps that help:
- Make or update your safety plan.
- Ask the crisis team or hospital for a follow-up appointment before you leave.
- Tell one person you trust what happened, and what helps.
- Use the first call guide to find ongoing care.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Programs, phone lines, and rules change. Check with the program named on this page. Report outdated or wrong information.