Ways to ask for help if you are struggling with your mental health (free resources)
If you are struggling with your mental health, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. It is important to know when to ask for help. It is better to ask earlier, before you are in an emergency situation. Asking for help does not mean you are weak.
Think about a person you trust who you can ask for help if you need it, like a close friend or family member. You can ask a doctor or other health care professional, teachers, a spiritual leader, or a school counselor for help.
– Here is some advice for young people on how and when to ask for help
– You can find a list of ideas for who to reach out to for help, and how to go about doing so if you are unsure, here
Below are free and confidential call and texting resources,
– The National Suicide Prevention Hotline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. You don’t need to be actively contemplating suicide to call this number – you can call if you have a friend in need, if you are having dark thoughts, or if you just need some support. Provides support in English and Spanish.
– If you are more comfortable texting, the Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, by providing access to free, 24/7 support via text.
– It can be hard to reach out to people to tell them you need help. The Not OK App allows you to pre-select up to 5 contacts, and when you press a button in the app, it will text those contacts with your location and a message that says “Hey, I’m not OK. Please call me, text me, or come find me.”
– Asian LifeNet Hotline is a suicide prevention hotline providing services in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, and Fujianese
While self-harm is not the same as suicide or suicidality, it can be related. Resources for those who are contemplating or struggling with self-harm can be found here:
– Things you can do instead of self-harming.
– You can also download Calm Harm, an app to help you resist or manage the urge to self harm