Call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

This page exists so you don't have to search for it. If you're reading it for yourself, you can stop reading at any point and make the call. If you're reading it for someone you care about, the same is true. Help isn't something you have to earn. It's something to use.

What 988 is.

988 is the national three digit line in the United States for any mental health crisis, including thoughts of suicide. It's free. It's confidential. It's available 24 hours a day. You don't need to be in immediate danger to call. You can call for yourself. You can call for someone you're worried about. Calls can happen in many languages, and the line has specialized routing for veterans (press 1), Spanish speakers (press 2), and LGBTQ+ youth and young adults (press 3). Text and chat options are available for people who can't or don't want to speak on the phone.

988 replaced the older 1-800-273-TALK number in 2022. It's run by a national network of more than 200 local crisis centers, coordinated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Vibrant Emotional Health. Calls usually route to the nearest center based on your area code.

What to expect when you call 988.

A trained counselor answers, usually within seconds. They'll ask for a first name (you can use any name) and a few questions about what's going on. They listen without judgment. They don't call the police unless there's an immediate identifiable threat to life that can't be addressed any other way. The vast majority of calls are handled entirely on the line.

Most calls end with the person feeling more grounded, a plan for the next few hours, and a referral to follow up care. The counselor stays on the line as long as you need. There's no time limit. There's no script you have to follow.

Medication specific emergencies.

Some medication situations don't wait. If you've taken more of a medication than prescribed, mixed medications in a way that wasn't planned, mixed medication with alcohol, or you suspect an accidental overdose, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or call 911. Don't wait to see if you'll feel better. Poison Control is free, confidential, and staffed by clinicians who specialize in medication and substance reactions.

Some adverse drug reactions are medical emergencies. Serotonin syndrome (very high fever, rapid heart rate, severe agitation, muscle rigidity, confusion) usually requires the emergency department. Severe allergic reactions (Stevens Johnson syndrome, anaphylaxis) require the emergency department. New chest pain, seizure, severe confusion, or a sudden change in level of consciousness while taking a psychiatric medication need an evaluation that day, not next week.

If you're thinking about using a prescribed medication to harm yourself, lock the supply with someone you trust right now and call 988. If you can't make the call yourself, ask someone nearby to help you make it. Limiting access to lethal means during the high risk window is one of the strongest evidence based interventions in psychiatry.

If a medication you've been on stopped abruptly (you missed several doses, the prescription ran out, the pharmacy was out, you decided to stop) and you're now having severe symptoms, that can also be an emergency. SSRI and SNRI discontinuation can produce dizziness, electric shock sensations, severe mood changes, and rebound suicidal thoughts. Benzodiazepine and alcohol withdrawal can be life threatening. Don't try to manage either alone. Call 988 or go to the emergency department.

What an emergency department visit looks like.

At the hospital, you'll be triaged at the front and then evaluated, usually by a social worker or a mental health clinician on the psychiatric consult team. They'll ask about the thoughts you're having, what's been going on, what makes you safer, what doesn't, and whether you've access to lethal means. They'll also check for medical issues that can look like a mental health crisis (thyroid problems, infections, sleep deprivation, recent substance use, withdrawal from a medication you'd been on).

Sometimes the visit ends with going home with a written safety plan, a same week or next day follow up appointment, and updated medications. Sometimes it ends with a short voluntary inpatient stay for stabilization. In a smaller number of situations, when a person is at acute risk and can't consent to care, an involuntary hold may be used; the criteria and the length of these holds are set by state law.

Either outcome is care, not punishment. Going to an emergency department for a mental health crisis is the same kind of action as going for chest pain. The system is built for both.

For someone helping a person in crisis.

If you're worried about someone, the most useful single thing you can do is ask directly. The research on this is consistent. Asking someone whether they're thinking about suicide doesn't put the thought in their head. What it does is open a door.

If they say yes, take it seriously. Don't try to talk them out of it. Don't promise to keep the conversation secret. Stay with them. Help them call 988, or take them to the emergency department. If means are accessible (medications, firearms, other lethal means), limit that access if you can do so safely. For prescription medications specifically, taking the bottle to a different location (a neighbor's house, a locked car, a workplace locker) is reasonable. Throwing the medication away isn't necessary; reducing immediate access is.

If they say no but you're still worried, you can still call 988 yourself to talk it through with a counselor. The line is for the person at risk, and it's also for the person trying to help them.

Crisis lines and support.