This page is a reference. It is not a substitute for calling. If you are in crisis right now, please call or text 988, text HOME to 741741, or call the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386. You do not need to read this page first.
The fear of calling a crisis line is rarely about the help itself. It's about what happens to you when you ask for help. Will the police show up? Will my parents find out? Will I lose autonomy over my own situation?
This page covers what actually happens. The honest version.
Hartley's full reference article on calling 988 — including the answers to the most common questions teens and parents send us — is being prepared for clinical review. Until that article is live, the resources below cover what most readers most need to know.