Get urgent help now Worried about someone who is feeling suicidal

Worried about someone feeling suicidal

What to do if you are worried about someone who is feeling or you suspect is feeling suicidal

If someone tells you they are feeling suicidal advise them to contact the free NHS service: Mental Health 111 Option 2. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is free to call from a mobile (even when the caller has no credit left) or from a landline. They will provide with immediate support over the phone to help them cope with how they are feeling and, if needed, a referral to mental health services will be arranged.
Alternatively, they can contact their GP and request an urgent appointment or contact another free Professional helpline.
Evidence shows that asking someone if they are feeling suicidal can help protect them. If you feel able, encourage them to talk about how they are feeling. Then listen with compassion and without judgement. Take them seriously. You don’t have to be able to solve their problems. Encourage them to seek advice, and let them know that there is free professional and confidential support available right now.
For advice on how to have this conversation, see our Suicidal Feelings page. There is also helpful information on the Samaritans website to help people support someone with suicidal thoughts. Also, PAPYRUS’s HOPELINE provides advice for anyone concerned that a young person under the age of 35 could be thinking about suicide.
Encourage them to pick up the phone, send a text or email. Remind them it is important that they do not struggle with difficult feelings on their own. There is a wide range of professional support available. See our link for more information. Or encourage them to speak to someone they know and trust.
They could call the Samaritans. Samaritans has a free to call service 24 hours a day, 365 days a week. If you want to talk to someone in confidence, call them on 116 123.
If they are under 35, they can call PAPYRUS’s HOPELINE 247 on 0800 068 4141. Or text 07860039967. Or email: pat@papyrus-uk.org. This is a free 24-hour helpline for young people or anyone concerned about a young person who may be feeling suicidal. PAPYRUS’s HOPELINE also offers advice for anyone concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide.
Let them know that there are a wide range of resources on our website such as Apps and websites, which they might find helpful.

If you or someone you know are in need of urgent help, it's an emergency.

If you are unable to keep yourself safe, it is an emergency. A mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as physical health emergency. You are not wasting anyone’s time. Please seek help.