Mental Health Resources
If you are struggling, help is available right now. Every service listed here is free, and we earn nothing from listing it.
Call 911 in the United States, or your local emergency number. If you can, stay with someone you trust until help arrives.
United States
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988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988
Free and confidential, 24 hours a day, every day. For anyone in distress, not only for thoughts of suicide. Press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line. Press 2 for Spanish.
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Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741
Free 24 hour support by text message with a trained crisis counselor.
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SAMHSA National Helpline
Call 1-800-662-4357
Free, confidential treatment referral and information for mental health and substance use, 24 hours a day.
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Veterans Crisis Line
Call 988, then press 1. Or text 838255
Support for veterans, service members, and their families.
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Trevor Project
Call 1-866-488-7386, or text START to 678678
Crisis support for LGBTQ young people, 24 hours a day.
Outside the United States
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Find a Helpline
Free crisis lines in more than 130 countries. Choose your country and see what is available near you.
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International Association for Suicide Prevention
A worldwide directory of crisis centres.
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Samaritans (United Kingdom and Ireland)
Call 116 123
Free to call, 24 hours a day, from any phone.
If you are not in crisis but things feel heavy
You do not need to be at breaking point to deserve help. A lot of people wait far longer than they need to. Here are reasonable first steps.
- Talk to your regular doctor. They can screen for depression and anxiety and refer you on.
- Check whether your employer offers an Employee Assistance Program. Many do, and the sessions are usually free.
- Search a therapist directory such as Psychology Today and filter by insurance, cost, and specialty.
- Ask about sliding scale fees. Many practices offer them and do not advertise it.
- Tell one person you trust. Saying it out loud once makes the next step easier.
We do not run advertising, affiliate links, or paid referrals on this page, and we never will. If you are in distress you should be able to find a phone number without walking past a sales pitch. Read more in our editorial policy.
Phone numbers and services were last checked on September 16, 2026. If you find an entry that is out of date, please tell us at [email protected].