If there is immediate danger, act now
If you or someone else has taken an overdose, caused a serious injury, is about to act on thoughts of suicide, cannot stay safe, or faces another immediate danger, seek local emergency help now. Call the local emergency number or use emergency medical care as directed in your location. In the United States, call 911 for a life-threatening emergency. Do not wait to finish this article or for a routine appointment to become available.
If you are helping someone, stay with them if doing so is safe for you, and follow the emergency responder's instructions. Do not put yourself in danger, physically confront someone, or try to handle an emergency alone. Tell the responder what has happened and where the person is. If a medicine or substance is involved, provide the information you have without delaying the call to collect every detail.
Crisis support in the United States
In the United States, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988, or using chat at 988lifeline.org. SAMHSA describes it as a 24-hour service for suicide, mental health, and substance use-related crisis support. You do not need to have a confirmed diagnosis before reaching out. A crisis counselor can listen and help you think through the situation and available support.
988 is not a worldwide number. Do not assume it connects to the same service when you are outside the United States. It also does not replace emergency medical response for an overdose, serious injury, or immediate life-threatening danger. The correct route depends on the urgency and your location, not only on whether the problem is described as mental health.
SAMHSA describes the service as confidential, but confidentiality has limits. Do not promise another person that no emergency action could ever follow a crisis contact. Emergency services may be involved when there is an imminent risk that cannot be resolved through the contact. Ask the counselor about privacy or the process if you need to understand it. The service itself is free, though ordinary telephone or data charges may depend on your provider.
If you are elsewhere
Use your country's recognized crisis line, urgent mental health service, or local emergency number. An official health service website can help identify the appropriate contact if the situation is not immediately life-threatening. A routine outpatient office, a general email address, or a social media message may not be monitored quickly enough for urgent support.
Service names, access methods, and numbers vary between countries and can change. Check location-specific information before relying on a number saved from a foreign article. If you are traveling, ask local emergency services or a recognized health service how to obtain urgent care. In an immediate danger, call emergency help rather than spending time comparing directories.
What you can say at the start
You do not need a composed explanation. Try: 'I am worried I cannot keep myself safe,' or 'I am with someone who may harm themselves, and we need help.' Say where you are and whether there has been an injury, overdose, or immediate action. If speaking is difficult and the service offers a text or chat route suitable for the situation, use that route. For a medical emergency, follow local emergency instructions.
If you are supporting a friend, ask directly whether they are thinking about suicide. NIMH states that asking does not increase suicidal thoughts or behavior. Listen without judgment and help them connect with professional crisis support. Do not promise secrecy about an immediate risk. The priority is a response strong enough to keep the person safe.
Make the next few minutes safer
Move toward a safer setting if you can do so without putting yourself or others at risk. Contact a trusted person who can be present while you reach professional help. Follow the counselor's or responder's guidance about reducing access to dangerous items. Do not attempt to wrestle away a weapon or intervene physically in an unsafe situation; tell emergency services about the danger.
A short coping exercise, a journal, or an encouraging message is not sufficient on its own when safety is at risk. Those tools can be useful in other circumstances, but a crisis calls for people and services that can respond now. If a call disconnects before the situation is addressed, reconnect or use the appropriate emergency route. Silence after a failed contact does not mean you should manage alone.
After immediate support is arranged
Ask what the next step is, who will make contact, and what to do if the risk returns. If the person is discharged from a service or given follow-up instructions, keep those instructions accessible. With consent where appropriate, a trusted person can help arrange transport, appointments, or practical tasks. A next-day plan should include more than a promise to try harder.
For future reference, save the verified local emergency number and crisis contact in a place you can find quickly. Include a trusted person's number and the contact instructions from your care team if you have one. Preparation is helpful, but you do not need to have prepared well to deserve support today. If safety is uncertain now, seek immediate help.
