Suicide Resources--Phone, Websites, Text, Chat

[Arch]

If you are feeling suicidal and need help, please remember that the members at Susan's are not trained for such an emergency. A suicide hotline can save your life.

The information below is accurate to the best of my knowledge; do notify me if you find a mistake. These resources are offered in the spirit of community. Neither Susan's nor any of its members shall be held responsible for any errors.

If you call one of the numbers and it does not work, please get the help you need from another hotline or your country's emergency number (in the U.S. and Canada, call 911; in the U.K., call 999 or 112; in Australia, call 000; in the E.U., call 112).


United States
National Suicide Prevention Hotline
English: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
Spanish: 1-888-628-9454
For anyone who is suicidal.
Toll-free and available 24/7.
TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (1-800-799-4889)
Chat is also available.
Website: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

The Trevor Project
1-866-4-U-TREVOR (1-866-488-7386)
For LGBTQ youth (minors and young adults 13-24).
Toll-free and available 24/7.
Chat and texting available.
Website: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Hopeline: Kristin Brooks Hope Center
English: 1-800-442-4673 (1-800-442-HOPE)
Spanish: 1-800-784-2432 (1-800-SUICIDA)
For anyone who is suicidal.
Toll-free and available 24/7.
Chat is available.
Website: http://www.hopeline.com/

Samaritans USA
Samaritans refers people to the national hotline at 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK) but has local numbers on the website.
Website: http://www.samaritansusa.org/index.php


United States and Canada
Trans Lifeline
U.S. 1-877-565-8860
Canada 1-877-330-6366
Toll-free, but hours vary.
Website: http://www.translifeline.org/


United Kingdom and Ireland
Samaritans
UK: 08457 90 90 90
ROI: 116 123
For anyone who is suicidal.
There may be a toll for these numbers, but if you call the ROI number from inside Ireland, the call is free. These hotlines are available 24/7.
http://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help-you/contact-us

Canada
National Suicide Prevention Hotline (U.S.-based but available in Canada)
English: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
Spanish: 1-888-628-9454
For anyone who is suicidal.
Toll-free and available 24/7.
TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (1-800-799-4889)
Chat is also available.
Website: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Ontario
Distress Centres Ontario maintains a list of distress lines by region. Go to http://www.dcontario.org/centres.html. These numbers appear to be toll-free if you call from inside the designated area.

Québec—Montréal (Suicide Action Montréal)
514-723-4000
Toll-free if you call from the same zone; available 24/7.
Website: http://www.suicideactionmontreal.org/

Québec—Outside Montréal (Suicide Action Montréal)
1-866-277-3553 (1-800-APPELLE) (This one is a bit confusing; a number is provided for outside of Montréal, but the number appears to be for Portneuf.)
Toll-free and available 24/7?
List of other Québec resources: http://suicideactionmontreal.org/index.php?page=resources-available-in-quebec
Website: http://www.suicideactionmontreal.org/

New Brunswick (CHIMO Helpline)
1-800-667-5005
Toll-free provincial helpline is available 24/7 to all New Brunswick residents.
Website: http://www.chimohelpline.ca/

Alberta (Distress Line of Southwestern Alberta)
403.266.4357 (403.266.HELP)
Toll-free if you are in Southern Alberta; 24/7.
Website: http://www.distresscentre.com/get-help/24-hour-support/suicide-prevention-hotline/

Your Life Counts, lists these two numbers for the Distress Line of Southwestern Alberta:
1-888-787-2880
403-327-7905
Website: http://www.yourlifecounts.org/crisis-lines/distress-line-southwestern-alberta-canadian-mental-health-association
I do not know whether these numbers are accurate.


Australia
Lifeline
13 11 14
Charged as a local call; toll-free for mobile phones; available 24/7.
Chat is available.
Website: https://www.lifeline.org.au/

Samaritans
1-800-198-313
Toll-free but may not be available 24/7.
08-9381-5555
Available 24/7 but may not be free.

Suicide Call Back Service
1300-659-467
Charged as a local call; available 24/7.
Website: https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/


International and Internet
Go to http://www.befrienders.org/ and enter your country in the search box. Your country should appear in a drop-down menu allows you to choose your country and find a helpline. In the United States, you get yet another search box in which you will enter the state.

Or go to http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html and scroll down until you find your country's link.

Your Life Counts has a comprehensive international list that includes Canada and surrounding areas, China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, several European countries (including Ireland and the UK), Australia, and New Zealand.
List: http://www.yourlifecounts.org/need-help/crisis-lines

For an online crisis network with chat, try https://www.imalive.org/.

[Jeh]

I called the Toronto number for the Distress Centres Ontario once several years ago, and reached a man who was so incredibly helpful. He didn't offer any advice, he just talked to me about random things and we talked for about an hour, and I didn't feel so alone and weighted down.

You don't always get a great person on the other end, so I urge you, if you're ever in such a bad spot that you need to call a helpline and you reach someone who doesn't help you, call back. You will most likely get another person, and maybe that person will help.

Just an extra note to the mod that posted this, you need to take the period off the end of the link to the Distress Centres Ontario. The link doesn't work if you click it, because there's an extra period there.

[caseyyy]

Yeah, they're hit and miss so I second what Jeh said. I got one lady who really wanted to help, but thought I was intersex and I couldn't explain it to her.

[Morgan.]

My Mum worked for Lifeline training the people who answer the phones for almost 13 years. Props go out to that organization, I have done a lot of volunteer work there.

Just to add for Australia,

Kids Helpline (for some of the younger people, they aim to talk to people between 5 & 25 years of age.)
1800 55 1800. Free to call.

[ColourMeQueer]

If ever someone needs a website to help them through, and this one has helped me a few times; http://www.metanoia.org/suicide/

Everytime I feel suicidal I go there, and it does help me.
Mind you it may not help you as it does me, but I put it here just in case someone else is feeling suicidal and can't call a hotline.

[akitokitoast]

For under-18s in England, there is also Childline: 08001111
They also run a IM-style help service on their website at childline.org.uk

[Ryuu]

Since I was just linked here from another forum, I thought I'd share the hotline I work at
The LifeLine is already on here, but they run another line for <18 year olds, the YouthLine, which also has text and IM services.
Call: 1-877-968-8491 (24/7 but teen volunteers only work 2-7 pm weekdays)
Text: Text "teen2teen" to 66746 (only open 2-7 pm on weekdays)
Chat: oregonyouthline.org (same hours as texts)

[TwoSpirit]

I wish a friend of mine had called a hotline number or just talked to anyone before he took his life. It's been over a month, and I am still not "right" about the whole thing.

He was a prominent trans activist in my community and did so much to help me and other t guys and gals. And now he's gone, and I can't help but wonder if he felt shame for being depressed, because he was so used to being in the helper role. I know when I felt like everyone's therapist, I felt awful about my own depression. There is still too much shame associated with depression and suicidal thoughts.
He did a lot in his 40+ years, but I just wish he could have felt safe to ask for help. He was a huge animal lover and his cat died just before he took his life and I had the desire to end it all when my 20 yr old cat died a while ago.

I have tried to kill myself before (2 serious attempts, 1 not so serious) and while my life is still not where I want it to be, I guess I still want to live. Even though I would give anything to have my cat back. As well as my friend.

I hope for everyone, but particularly for the care givers, that we can learn not to feel shame about being depressed. And shut out anyone who shames you.

[Arch]

TwoSpirit, I think your friend must be the fellow some of us were talking about a couple of weeks ago. I don't usually "connect" with stuff like this in a big way, but losing a trans man, especially to suicide, always hits me because I know what it does to his community.

Regarding cats, I lost my beloved Big Guy a little over a year ago, and I was in such agony not having a cat in my life that I found myself driving to the shelter a week after his death. I needed to adopt a cat, but it took me quite some time to start letting go of the old cat and embracing the new. In retrospect, I probably should have waited, but now I'm glad I didn't. The Little Guy had spent a year in and out of that shelter, being returned twice by would-be owners. He needed someone like me who would just let him be who he was--even if it took me a full year to realize that I truly loved him.

I'm glad you're here, TwoSpirit--both on the site and on the planet.

[TwoSpirit]

Thanks Arch. For saying you are glad I am here. Suicide has been a part of my past too. Or serious attempts at least.
As for my friend who committed suicide: His name was Kyle, and it was no secret that he committed suicide, so I am not outing him in anyway. I met him 15 years ago, when he came to the city. I knew him by another name at that point (pre his transition) and he knew me as a butch dyke drag king, but had an immediate respect for him, because he worked as a media watcher back then. He was also our stage manager and even played Brad in my Frankenfurter number. Geez, I miss him.

If it is Kyle, can you direct me to the thread where he was mentioned?

Kyle was such a sweet, non judgmental loving guy and his death has left a huge hole in this community. I don't know who I will go to for any help, as he was the go-to guy, and since I had known him for long, I had a deep respect and trust comfort with him. He took his life the Tuesday after pride, and wasn't found until Sunday. Which for some reason, really pisses me off. Since he was so involved at the community centre where he worked, I don't get why it took so long to find him. You'd think his work place would be alarmed.

I too, adopted a cat a few months after, but it was too soon for me. I just couldn't love her like she should be loved, and I kept comparing her to the cat that was with me for 20 years. I ended up giving her to some women who fell in love with her, and I think she's happier, because I am sure she sensed that I wasn't totally into her, which wasn't fair to her. I wonder if I will have to adopt a kitten this time, instead of an adult who has their quirks well rooted by the age of five. She was a sweety, but she wasn't my beloved 20 yr old, whom I had had since she was kitten, a rescue kitten who bee lined out of her cage to run up and jump on me and give me a head butt. She totally owned me from the beginning. So I am glad the one I had to give up, is getting the love she deserves somewhere else.
And once I am recovered from surgery, I will look for a new kitten from a shelter or rescue and hope to love, even half as much as my 20 yr old.

[Arch]

I'm pretty sure it was Kyle. I'll see if I can find the thread and PM it to you.

I, too, kept comparing one cat to another...became a member of the "Why don't you.." and "Why aren't you more like..." school. Finally got over it. Still remember the head-butting...I used to get down on all fours so he could boomph me on the head. I miss that so much. The new cat doesn't really do that, but I've grown fond of his little ways. He's weird, and that suits me.

But the Big Guy was a street rescue, a real wild one, and that creates a special bond, I think. He really became a one-man cat, and we communicated well with each other. The new guy is just different, that's all. And I definitely needed him, even if I took a long time to stop asking him why he wasn't like the Big Guy. Well, no cat wil ever be like the Big Guy. I just wish I'd had a little more time with him. He was only eight, maybe nine. That just isn't enough.

[Snowman77]

Thanks Arch, it's good to know that there's help out there.

[dreaming.forever]

Online chat support:
(none of these are 24/7 but they'll tell you if online counselors are available)

www.imalive.org

http://newhopeonline.org/counseling/liveperson.html

www.crisischat.org

http://www.kidshelp.com.au/teens/get-help/web-counselling  (only available in Australia)



Free ebook (download or view online): "Suicide: The Forever Decision" by Paul Quinnett, Ph.D.

http://www.qprinstitute.com/forever.html

[Quinnfong]

this may seem stupid but what exactly is a suicide hotline? i know it's a number you call when u feel like commiting suicide but what r they? what do they do?

[NXTransit]

A new Transgender oriented hotline has been circulating so I figured I'd list it here.

It is in the US and all staff are transgender as well.

Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860

The organization can be found at http://www.translifeline.org/