How to get help in a crisis

If your life is at risk right now

If you feel like you might attempt suicide, or may have seriously harmed yourself, you need urgent medical help. Please:

call 999 for an ambulance
go straight to A&E, if you can
or call your local crisis team, if you have their number.

If you can't do this by yourself, ask someone to help you.

Mental health emergencies are serious. You're not wasting anyone's time.

What about coronavirus?

If you're worried about going to A&E because you're shielding or self-isolating, call 999 and ask for an ambulance to come to you.

The NHS still wants you to get the right help in an emergency. This may mean going to hospital.

"To this day I am so thankful that I was told to go to A&E. Sometimes you need to hit a low in order to move on from one."

If you don't want to call 999

If you can keep yourself safe for a short while, but you still need urgent advice:

contact NHS 111 if you live in England
contact NHS 111 or NHS Direct (0845 46 47) if you live in Wales
contact your GP surgery and ask for an emergency appointment. Many GPs are now offering these remotely because of coronavirus
contact a local urgent mental health helpline. These are only currently available in England.

Do you need some urgent coping tools?

We have some crisis resources that you can use right away, by yourself, wherever you are.

Get crisis coping tools

If you need to talk right now

Whatever you're going through, there are people you can talk to any time. You can:

call Samaritans on 116 123 (UK-wide)
text SHOUT to 85258 (UK-wide)
call C.A.L.L. on 0800 132 737 (Wales only)

These services are for anyone who's struggling.

They won't judge you.

They're free, they're anonymous, and they're always open.

Our page of helplines and listening lines has more numbers to try.

"Once a girl actually answered the phone and kept me talking through my thoughts and suicidal feelings for almost three hours! To her I shall be eternally grateful!"