If you are in distress, reach out for mental illness, suicide prevention help now. You can't get better if no one knows what's wrong. Reach out for help now.

You are not alone. This is not the end.

Please, if you feel you may harm yourself, REACH OUT. There are people out there who care about your life.

  • US (Lifeline): 988 (The old number still also works: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)]
  • LGBTQ Youth (the Trevor Project): 1-866-488-7386
  • US Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 (press 1)
  • Canada: 1-800-SUICIDE OR helplines and centers by province OR 911
  • International: Befrienders Worldwide
  • Australia: 13-11-14 (lifeline) or 1-800-55-1800 (kids helpline for 5-25 yrs old)

Almost every country has a similar suicide prevention number. Just Google suicide helpline and your country. No matter who you are, no matter what you’re going through, you are not alone. Believe me, this much I know is true. Your mental illness might try to make you believe that you are the freakiest, craziest, nuttiest, most fucked up person in the world, but that is a lie. You are like thousands of others. Really.

You Need In-Person Mental Health Help

The internet is a wonderful place that gives everyone access to the entire world. This does not take the place of real people. You need a real support system. You need friends, family, support groups, doctors, therapists, and anyone else you can get your hands on. It’s this network that’s going to keep you safe when everything is going wrong.

People Who Can Help You With Your Mental Illness or Trauma

  • Doctors
  • Psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors
  • Social workers
  • Hospitals
  • University or school-affiliated programs
  • Employee assistance programs
  • Support groups
  • Faith groups

Where to Find Help for Mental Illness in the US

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a great Mental Health Services Locator. It will give you services by zip code. Go. Use it. Now.

Additionally, the American Psychological Association provides a psychologist locator, and the American Psychiatric Association provides a psychiatrist locator. (Psychologists are PhDs, and psychiatrists as MDs. Psychologists are for therapy, whereas psychiatrists are for medical management of an illness.)

Where to Find Help for Mental Illness in Canada

Unfortunately, I can’t find a Canada-wide service-finder anymore. (If you know of one, contact me.) So, here are some service locators that are province-wide:

You can find crisis resources provided by the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. Of course, in Canada, medical treatment is free, but there are additional free resources (like therapy) listed here.

Go get help.

Many More Mental Illness Help Lines and Referral Resources

HealthyPlace also has a very extensive list of mental health hotline numbers and referral resources.

Don’t Give Up

There are people who love you and want to help you. There are resources that can help you get better. No matter how alone you might feel, no matter how unfixable things may seem, you are not alone, and people can help. But no one can help you if you don’t reach out. It gets better.