For Young People > Getting Help

What to Do in a Mental Health Crisis

A mental health crisis is when you’re in serious emotional distress, feeling suicidal, or feeling at risk of hurting yourself or someone else. If you’re able to do so, immediately tell a parent, caregiver, or other trusted adult. They can talk with you and decide what course of action to take: calling for help or taking you directly to the emergency department.

If you or a friend is having a mental health emergency and you cannot get help from a trusted adult, you can:

  • call or text 988, the nationwide Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
  • call 911.

Contact 988

988 provides free, confidential, 24/7 support for people in distress. Depending on where you live, a Lifeline crisis counselor may be able to connect you with a local crisis support team for help. Or they may refer you to 911 if there is no local crisis support team. You can call or text 988, or chat through the 988 Lifeline website Opens in a new tab.

  • Voice, text, and chat options are available in English and Spanish. To connect with a Spanish-speaking crisis counselor:
  • Youth who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing loss can choose to:
  • Young people who are veterans can choose to:

FAQs when contacting 988

You can contact 988 for any level of emotional distress. Trained counselors are there to help if you’re feeling suicidal, and also if you’re struggling with your mental health in any way. You can call, text, or chat if you’re feeling overwhelmed, scared, or dealing with tough emotions and don’t know what to do or even if you just need someone to talk to. If you’re struggling, reach out.

If you call 988, you’ll first hear a recording that will ask you to stay on the line to speak with a counselor or to choose option 1 for veterans or 2 for Spanish. You’ll then hear some music while you’re connected to a live counselor. When the counselor comes on the line, they’ll say hello, introduce themselves, and ask if you are safe. The counselor will then let you talk, listening to your concerns. They’ll provide comfort and support without judgment and may suggest resources for you.

If you text 988, you’ll receive prompts with options for connecting with an English-speaking or Spanish-speaking counselor or the Veterans Crisis Lifeline. Once you make your choice, type “Next” and then accept the Opens in a new tab Terms of Service. You’ll then be asked to fill out a brief survey that will help a trained counselor understand what you’re going through and how to best support you. That might sound overwhelming, but just take it one step at a time and know that the survey doesn’t take long, and you are worth taking the time to get support.

After filling out the survey, you’ll receive a text that says “Wait” and a link to optional additional survey questions. A live counselor will say hello, introduce themselves, and ask if you are safe. The counselor will then let you text about your concerns and listen to you. They’ll reply with nonjudgmental comfort and support and may suggest resources for you.

If you click “Chat” on the Opens in a new tab988 Lifeline website, a new window will open with a brief survey. The survey takes less than five minutes and will help a trained counselor understand what you’re going through and how to support you. After you submit the survey, click “Start a chat” and accept the Opens in a new tabTerms of Service. You’ll then be connected to a live counselor who will say hello, introduce themselves, and ask if you are safe. The counselor will then chat with you and listen to your concerns. They’ll reply with nonjudgmental comfort and support and may suggest resources for you.

988 connects you with a caring adult who is a crisis counselor trained to help anyone having a hard time.

Usually, you’ll be connected to a live counselor in less than a minute.

That’s okay! The most important thing is that you are connecting to help. The trained counselor will know what to do and ask you some guiding questions to help start the conversation. They will understand if you need time to collect your thoughts. If you text or chat, you’ll be asked to fill out a survey that will also help guide the conversation. If it’s helpful, you can always jot down some notes about what you want to share while waiting to be connected. (It’s also a good idea to have pen and paper or a notes app on your phone handy so you can note any resources the counselor gives you.)

If they ask you something you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to. You can say, “I don’t want to talk about that.” The counselor’s job is to make you feel safe, not to make you share things you’re not ready to. They’ll still listen and try to help with whatever you do feel okay talking about.

A 988 counselor will only contact emergency services if they think you or someone else is in immediate danger of harm. That is rare. Less than 2% of calls meet this criteria. If emergency services are involved, over half the time it is with the caller’s consent.

988 is anonymous and confidential. You can provide as much or little information about yourself as you choose. A counselor will not ask you for identifying information. Your parents or caregivers could find out if emergency services are dispatched. Another consideration is your phone service provider and whether a call or text to 988 will appear on your phone’s billing statement (if your parents have access to it). You can contact the provider to find out if 988 will show up. Standard messaging and data rates may apply when texting 988. If you are worried about the phone bill, you can chat online at Opens in a new tab988lifeline.org.

Yes. You can reach out on behalf of anyone who is in distress or who you are worried about.

It’s important to remember that it isn’t your fault and it isn’t a sign to stop trying — keep taking steps to stay safe and get help. If you can’t get through or if 988 doesn’t seem right for you, try a different helpline. If you are in suicidal crisis, call 911.

Call 911

When you’re having a mental health crisis, a police dispatcher can talk with you about what’s happening, assess the situation, and decide what to do. They can also dispatch a crisis intervention team (CIT) if one is available in your community, or police can transport you to the hospital.

Yet you may feel hesitant to call 911, particularly for people of color and in communities that have had difficult experiences with police.

If the best option is to call 911, here are some tips for you and anyone who might be helping you:

  • Tell the dispatcher that this call is about a mental health crisis. Give as much information as you can about the mental health history and/or diagnosis.
  • Ask if your community has a crisis intervention team (CIT) officer or a youth crisis team.
  • When police arrive, say, “This is a mental health crisis” and remain calm yourself. Do not yell or get too close to the officer. Let them know helpful information, and if they are not there for you then step out of the way.
  • Be aware that police are responsible for your safety and for those around you. Sometimes that means an officer may try to physically restrain you.

Planning for a crisis

No one plans to have a mental health crisis. But if you’re struggling with your mental wellness or living with a mental health condition, it helps to have an emergency plan in case you ever need one.

Every plan will be individualized, but some common elements include:

  • Person’s general information
  • Contact information for family
  • Contact information for health care professionals
  • Strategies and treatments that have worked in the past
  • A list of what might make the situation worse and a list of what might help
  • Current medication(s) and dosages
  • Current diagnoses
  • Person’s treatment preferences
  • Contact information for nearby crisis centers or emergency rooms
  • Contact information for adults the person trusts
  • Safety plans
Opens in new tab Download this full crisis plan from NAMI
Opens in new tab

A parent or guardian may need to help with some of the information. Consider sharing your emergency plan with people you trust so that they will know how best to help you if you are in crisis. Keep your plan easy to access on your phone or in a visible spot in your home.

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