Need to talk to someone?
The essays on this site can help you think something through. Sometimes that is not what you need — you need a person who can answer you now. You do not have to be sure it is serious enough, and you do not have to know what you are going to say.
If you are in immediate danger
Call your local emergency number — 911 in the US and Canada,999 in the UK, 112 across the EU, 000 in Australia.
If you are struggling to cope, or thinking about harming yourself
- United States — call or text988 (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), 24 hours
- UK and Ireland — call Samaritans on116 123, 24 hours, free
- Anywhere else —Find A Helpline lists free, confidential services by country
If someone is hurting or controlling you
- United States — National Domestic Violence Hotline,1-800-799-7233, or chat at thehotline.org, 24 hours
- Anywhere else —Find A Helpline also lists domestic abuse services; choose your country, then the topic
Being controlled, threatened, cut off from friends and family, or afraid around a partner counts. It does not have to be physical before you are allowed to ask.
If it has been going on for a long time
Helplines are for right now. If the same thing has been weighing on you for months, a therapist, counsellor or your doctor is the longer-term version of the same step. Many helplines can also point you to low-cost options near you.
Numbers checked in September 2026. Opening hours are set by each service.