Useful Helplines, Blogs, Information Resources, and Policy and Research Institutes

If you, a friend, or someone you love is struggling, check out the resources included below. 

In Crisis and Need Help Immediately?  Call one of the lines below for help 24/7:

• Suicide crisis line (Lifeline): call 988 from anywhere in the United States

  Note: In July 2022, the US transitioned the 10 digit crisis hotline (1-800-273-TALK (8255)) to an easy to remember three digit number: 988

• LGBTQ suicide crisis line: call 1-866-488-7386

• Veteran crisis line: call 1-800-273-8255 or text 838255

• National Runaway Safeline: 1-800-RUNAWAY

Not in an Emergency but Could Use Some Help?

You can access many good sources of information and help online, but one of the challenges anyone faces when searching for help on the Internet is how to determine which sources are legitimate and accurate. I have tried to identify the legitimate resources that I think would be most helpful. The list is not comprehensive—there are likely good sources that I have missed, and some resources I have listed may change over time—but this list should provide a good start. I used some of these resources myself during our struggles with my daughter Sadie, and found many after her death, in my search for answers to the big question: Why? Some of these are resources to which I refer crisis-line callers, and a couple were provided to me by crisis-line callers or friends who are struggling.

For those who do not have access to mental health professionals, I have included a few of the promising new resources that have emerged as a result of technology innovation—help that anyone with a smartphone or Internet service can access. I cannot comment on the legitimacy or effectiveness of these new resources, but the number and type of online, video conferencing, and smartphone resources are rapidly expanding and improving. I expect there will be more and more research studies looking at the effectiveness of these new tools in the near future.