If you or someone with you is in immediate physical danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. 988 is for crisis support; 911 is for active emergencies.
988 is the national three-digit number for suicide and mental health crisis support in the United States. It launched in 2022, replacing the older 1-800-273-8255 number, and it works the same way anywhere in the country — including the territories, and in some cases for U.S. callers abroad.
You can call 988. You can text 988. You can chat with a counselor at 988lifeline.org. All three options are free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.
The page below covers what 988 is for, what to expect when you reach out, and the questions Hartley readers most often ask before they pick up the phone. For the step-by-step of what happens during a call, see what happens if I call 988?