If you’re feeling overwhelmed by school, family, or your social life, you don’t need to feel like you have to face it alone. You can reach out for help from a crisis line that will text you a trained counselor.
There are many different crisis lines that provide mental health support through texting and chat services. These lines are often free, anonymous, and confidential.
It’s free
Texting is an easy, free and anonymous way to reach out to someone when you need support. Whether it’s a friend who is struggling with an issue or you are feeling overwhelmed, Crisis Text Line is here to listen.
Our crisis counselors use effective active listening to help you find calm, create a plan to get help and stay safe. They also provide resources for further help.
You can talk to a counselor anytime, day or night. And they can be there for you through any situation: a breakup, a job loss, a financial crisis, or even an illness.
All you have to do is text the Beach community’s Crisis Text Line number (741741 or Got5U for college students) to initiate a conversation. You will then receive two automated responses that tell you you’re being connected with a counselor.
It’s anonymous
Crisis Text Line is an anonymous, 24/7 support service for anyone in need of help. It fields messages about suicidal thoughts, depression, bullying, substance abuse and relationship issues.
When a person texting in needs help, a live counselor will receive the message and respond within minutes. They will then de-escalate the situation and connect the person to help locally.
It is important to remember that this service does not substitute for professional medical care. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911.
The Crisis Text Line and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline are staffed by volunteers who are trained to help you with your problem. They do not provide medical advice, but they can answer questions about your symptoms and offer you a safe place to talk.
The Crisis Text Line takes your privacy seriously. They only know what you share with them, which means no information will be shared with a third party.
It’s confidential
When you text Crisis Text Line, you will get connected to a trained Crisis Counselor who is there to help you. They will ask you questions about what’s going on and will support you until you feel safe enough to stop talking.
You never have to share anything you don’t want to, and your Crisis Counselor will let you know if they need more information about your situation. They will also provide you with resources and actively listen to what you have to say.
Founded in 2013, Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 mental health support through text messaging. Through a global network of volunteer Crisis Counselors, it promotes emotional well-being and encourages people to reach out for support whenever they are in need.
It’s easy
A text message can be a quick and easy way to connect with a trained counselor. Whether you’re in the mood to chat about a breakup, a job change or just a tough day at work, you can send a text to a dedicated crisis line counselor at any time of day.
It’s also a surprisingly effective means of communication, especially for distressed teens. They’re four times more likely to open a text than an email.
In fact, it’s one of the most common ways that teens communicate with a crisis counselor, and is often used as a way to start a conversation at school, the office or on a bus. Its best-known function is the aforementioned one, but there are a number of other great text-based services out there for you to check out. And hey, they might be just as useful as Crisis Text Line or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. They all have something to offer and can all be found by searching for “text message”. Besides, they’re all free!