If the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Puts You on Hold, Who Else Can You Call?
In light of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade’s suicides, both discussion of suicide and calls to suicide hotlines have peaked. I’ve heard some people share that when they call the National Suicide Hotline (800-273-8255), they are put on hold. If you do not want to wait, there are alternate suicide hotline numbers that are local/state-wide or population-specific that can be more accessible since they are targeted to a smaller population.
For example, for people who are local to Southern California, an alternate suicide hotline number that is more accessible is Didi Hirsch’s Suicide Prevention Center: (877) 727-4747. It’s specifically to serve Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial Counties, which is why it’s less in demand. Their counselors are very well-trained and they spend a good amount of time with you. I have received training from Didi Hirsch and am very familiar with this organization, so I highly recommend them.
There are also population-specific hotlines, like for Asian Americans, LGBTQ youth, veterans, kids, teens and families, phone lines in Spanish and other languages, and there are texting hotlines, too.
I’ve listed the most prominent ones below:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
800-273-TALK (8255)
TTY: 800-799-4TTY (4889)
Crisis Text Line
Text 741741
Facebook
Lifeline Crisis Chat
1:1 Online Chat (12:00 pm – 12:00 am EST)
Red para la Prevención del Suicidio USA
888-628-9454
Se Habla Español 24/7
Spanish-Speaking Suicide Hotline USA
800-SUICIDA (784-2432) Suicida.Hotline
Se Habla Español
Suicide Hotline in Spanish USA
800-273-TALK (8255), Press 2
Se Habla Español 24/7
Asian American Suicide Prevention and Education
877-990-8585 (Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, and Fujianese)
Boys Town Suicide and Crisis Line (for teens/parents/families)
800-448-3000
Text, Chat Email
Vet2Vet Veterans Crisis Hotline
1-877-VET-2-VET (838-2838)
Veterans Crisis Line USA
800-273-TALK (8255), press 1
New Hope Now USA
714-NEW-HOPE (639-4673)
Postpartum Depression Hotline USA
800-PPD-MOMS (773-6667)
Kids Helpline USA
1-877-KIDS-400
Kids under 18
Teen to Teen Peer Counseling Hotline USA
877-YOUTHLINE (968-8454)
The Trevor Project USA: LGBTQ Youth 24/7
866-4-U-TREVOR (488-7386)
Your Life Your Voice USA
800-448-3000 YLYV Teens/Youth Phone 24/7
Live Chat Mondays – Thursdays 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm CST / Email
More lists are here.
For state/county-specific hotlines and non-U.S. hotlines, head here.
If you are struggling, please reach out! Help is there, even if it doesn’t seem that way.
Please share! You may never know who you will help with this information.
You can also view my TEDx talk which discusses my history of suicide, subsequent recovery and lessons we can all learn below:
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Getty image via Gearstd
Hufsa Ahmad is a public speaker, social worker, Muslim woman, and standup comedian who lives with schizoaffective disorder. Having transformed from a victim of her illness to a champion of recovery, Hufsa dedicates her life to smashing the stigma of mental illness and helping others with mental health diagnoses find treatment, recovery, and peace. She was awarded the Mental Health Association “Hope & Courage” Award and the National Alliance on Mental Illness “Next Step Award.” She is near completion of her Master of Social Work from California State University, Long Beach, and received her B.S. in Chemistry from Harvey Mudd College. Hufsa also did a TEDx talk called “Relapse is Part of Recovery.”
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