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Since Affiliated Family Counselors is not a crisis center here are some resources for help after hours if you or someone you know is in a crisis situation.
Boys Town National Hotline
This is a hotline to help children, families, and communities who are experiencing addiction, abandonment, and violence.
- Phone: 800-448-3000
- Text: Voice to 20121
- Website: https://www.boystown.org/Pages/default.aspx
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
The National Prevention Lifeline offers free 24 hour suicide prevention support across the United States. Including confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and the best practices for professionals.
- Phone: 800-273-8255
- Website: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
ULifeline
Provides anonymous, confidential support to college students.
- Phone: 800-273-8255
- Text: START to 741741
- Website: http://www.ulifeline.org/edinboro/
Asian American Suicide Prevention & Education
Offers support to the Asian American population during times of crisis.
- Phone: 877-990-8525 (LifeNet Hotline in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, and Fujianese)
- Website: http://www.aaspe.net/#
Crisis Text Line
Connects you to a crisis counselor for free 24 hours a day.
Text: HOME to:
- 741741 in the U.S. and Canada
- 85258 in the United Kingdom
- 50808 in Ireland
- Website: https://www.crisistextline.org/
The Trevor Project
A LGBTQIA+ youth can access support from this organization through a hotline, online chat, and text service.
- Phone: 866-488-7386 (24 hours a day)
- Text START 678678 (Monday – Friday 3 P.M. – 10 P.M. EST or 12 P.M. – 7 P.M. PST)
- Online Chat: TrevorCHAT (Monday – Friday 3 P.M. – 10 P.M. EST or 12 P.M. – 7 P.M. PST)
- Website: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
The Veterans Crisis Line
Offers free 24 hour confidential support from qualified responders from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Phone: 800-273-8255 and press 1
- Phone for those who are deaf or hard of hearing: 800-799-4889
- Text: 838255
- Online chat: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/chat
- Website: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
These common misconceptions about suicide may only increase their pain, so do NOT believe these:
- Talking to them about suicide will give them the idea to take their own life.
- People who talk about suicide only want attention
- There is nothing you can do to stop someone who has decided to take their own life.
A few tips for talking to loved ones about suicide:
- Listen to their thoughts and feelings
- Be sympathetic to their concerns and problems
- Reassure them that they are not alone and that support is available
- Take their concerns and feelings seriously
- Do not argue with their outlook on life or their feelings
- Do not make them feel guilty about their suicidal thoughts
- Ask them if they have planned their suicide, if they have the means to carry it out, if they have a set date or time, and if they intend on carrying it out. (Please note that professionals have assessments they can ask these questions to assess their risk based on the responses, so it may be more useful if a professional asks them)
- Remove potentially dangerous or lethal objects from the environment around them and do not leave them alone
- If they are a high risk, immediately call a crisis center, 911, or take them to an emergency room.
Articles used in this post:
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/feeling-suicidal-but-not-wanting-to-die
- https://www.boystown.org/Pages/default.aspx
- http://www.ulifeline.org/edinboro/
- suicidepreventionlifeline.org
- http://www.aaspe.net/#
- https://www.crisistextline.org/
- https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
- https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
Affiliated Family Counselors 