No matter what problems you’re dealing with, whether or not you’re thinking about suicide, if you need someone to lean on for emotional support, contact the hotline.

People call to talk about lots of things: substance abuse, economic worries, relationships, sexual identity, getting over abuse, depression, mental and physical illness, and loneliness, to name a few.

Suicide hotlines are typically staffed by trained personnel that are often in your area. Suicide hotlines that are for specific types of crises, such as the concerns of veterans or of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered or queer (LGBTQ) individuals, are generally trained in the main issues facing those populations.

Here is a helpful graphic on what to expect when you text “HOME” to 741741

How Does a Crisis Textline Work?  

You will first hear a recording describing the agency’s name and the fact that your call will not be recorded. The phone will ring until an operator picks up – sometimes it may take longer if they’re on the line with someone else already. The counselor will offer their name and ask you for yours. Immediately after getting your name they’ll need to ask you about you own suicidal thoughts. This is to prioritize safety concerns, and for triage. After determining risk of suicidality, the counselor will start asking questions about what brought you to call. They’ll probe a bit about what’s been going on recently and how you’re feeling about these circumstances. As the call continues, the operator will start exploring next steps, mostly in terms of self care but sometimes in terms of addressing issues that may be leading to suicidality.

In the vast majority of cases, no police (or other authority) involvement is required and in the cases where emergency help is needed, suicide hotline staff will make every attempt to gain permission to send them. The goal of a suicide hotline is to help you with your personal crisis and no one-size-fits-all solution is possible.

That being said, if you are actively suicidal and threatening to imminently hurt yourself, it is possible that emergency personnel may be called without your permission. While no one likes that scenario, it truly is the best, lifesaving thing an operator can do in a small number of cases.

People on the other end of suicide hotline calls are generally caring people who want to help you and this leads to primarily positive experiences. Your life is always worth a phone call and every option is preferable to suicide.

It is important to remember that a suicide hotline exists to offer non-judgmental care during your crisis. Reaching out to talk to someone is always the best first step during a mental health crisis, as opposed to trying to manage the symptoms on your own. If speaking with a counselor at a suicide hotline was not helpful, please do not give up. It may be hard, but reach out to a friend, a family member or a health care provider who can assist in ways that will help.