24-Hour Hotlines

• Al-Anon/Alateen Hotline 1-800-344-2666
• American Pregnancy Helpline 1-800-942-6466
• Crisis Text Line  Get Help Now: Free, 24/7, Confidential Text HOME to 741-741
•  LGBT National Help Center  1-800-246-PRIDE (7743)
• Marijuana Anonymous 1-800-766-6779
• National Drug & Alcohol Treatment Hotline 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
• National Institute of Mental Health 1-888-ANXIETY (269-4389)
• National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
• National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline  1-866-331-9474
• Self-Injury Hotline 1-800-DONT-CUT (1-800-366-8288)
• Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• The Trevor HelpLine  1-800-4-U-Trevor (488-7386)

What if someone talks to you about their mental health?

Listen. Let them finish their sentences and complete thoughts without interrupting. After they have finished you can respond.

Let them know if you understand. If someone has just spilled their guts and and you’ve gone through something similar—tell them. It helps a lot for someone to know they aren’t alone. Make sure you don’t switch the topic of conversation to your struggles though; focus on their needs.

Avoid being judgmental. Don’t tell them they are being weird or crazy; it’s not helpful at all.

Take them seriously. Try not to respond with statements that minimize how they are feeling or what they are going through, such as, “You’re just having a bad week,” or “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

Make yourself available to talk again if needed. While it can be a big relief for someone to share something they have been keeping secret, mental health struggles usually aren’t solved with one conversation. Let the person who has spoken with you know that they can reach out to you again if they are having a tough time. It’s ok to let them know if there is a time of day or certain days of the week that you aren’t available. For instance, “I’m here for you if you need to talk, but my parents don’t let me use the phone after 9 on school nights, so call before then.

Don't turn what you've been told into gossip. If someone is talking to you about their mental health, it was probably tough for them to work up the nerve to say something in the first place and you shouldn’t share what they tell you with other students at school. Let them share on their own terms.

Tell an adult if you have to. It’s important to have friends that trust you, but if a friend indicates they have thoughts or plans of hurting themselves or another person, have been hearing voices or seeing things that no one else can hear or see, or have any other signs and symptoms that shouldn’t be ignored then you need to tell an adult what is going on. That doesn’t make you a bad friend; it just means that the problem requires more help than you can give. If someone you know is in crisis and needs help urgently, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text 741741, go to your local Emergency Room or call 911.