'Help I'm in crisis'
How do I get help in a crisis?
Call our 24-hour helpline Freephone 0800 328 4444 for help or advice in a crisis from our trained mental health advisers and clinicians, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
For further advice, please visit our help in a mental health crisis or emergency page here.
If you are upset and having thoughts and urges about hurting yourself, or ending your life then stop, take a deep breath and read this page.
A crisis is any situation in which you feel you need urgent help. For example, you might feel in crisis if:
- You are having suicidal thoughts and feelings
- You are having thoughts about harming yourself
- You have seriously hurt yourself
You have taken more than the recommended amount of tablets (an overdose)
The table below gives some general information on how you can get help in a crisis:
What's happening | Ways you can get help |
You think you may act on suicidal feelings, or you have seriously harmed yourself |
|
You are feeling extremely distressed, or are experiencing suicidal feelings |
|
You need medical help or advice fast, but it's not an emergency |
|
Let someone know you do not feel safe or are struggling (a parent/carer or professional helpline).
NHS Mental Health Triage Service
The Mental Health Triage Team has a wide range of skills, including on the phone brief psychological support and has access to key services and organisations that can offer mental health support to people in their time of need.
This service can also be also used by GPs and other healthcare professionals, the emergency services, mental health charities and any other organisations that come into contact with people experiencing a mental health crisis.
Remember
- There are people who will listen, help and support you through this; it’s ok to ask for help.
- Just like stormy weather, strong feelings and urges will pass; it will not always feel this bad.
- Thoughts are just thoughts, we do not have to follow them. There are many other ways of managing other than harming yourself.
Hounslow
Hounslow 24/7 open access to mental health services:
Web: Mental health support | Mental health support | London Borough of Hounslow
If you feel unable to keep yourself safe, it’s a mental health emergency. Whatever you’re going through, you don’t have to manage on your own. There are people you can talk to by texting, typing, speaking, or using BSL.
Text NATTER to 85258 textline
Text NATTER to 85258 to access free, 24/7 text support. Your text will be answered by trained volunteers and it’s confidential unless they’re concerned about your safety.
Hounslow Mind
Hounslow Mind provides a range of services and support to people experiencing, or vulnerable to mental ill health. Hounslow Mind is an independent local provider of high quality mental health services in Hounslow Borough. To make a self-referral or to refer on the behalf of someone else, please contact the following numbers. The service will take your details and offer you an assessment soon after.
Tel: 020 8571 7454
Web: Know My Mind – Wellbeing West London
Speak CAMHS helpline
Call 0800 328 4444 and choose option 2 for Speak CAMHS.
The helpline is open:
- Monday to Friday from 8am to 11pm
- Weekends and Bank holidays from midday to 8pm.
What is Speak CAMHS?
Speak CAMHS is a specialist helpline available for anyone to discuss mental health concerns they have about children and young people, under 18, living in Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham.
The helpline is run by a team of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) professionals from West London NHS Trust, who are familiar with local services and have a range of specialist mental health knowledge.
Who is the helpline for?
- It's available to anyone, which includes: children and young people, their families, carers, CAMHS colleagues, and other professionals, such as GPs, social workers, and teachers.
- The helpline aims to support children and young people to utilise their safety plan, which they may have formulated with their community or other specialist care teams, to minimise any potential risk issues.
- The purpose of the helpline is to avoid and de-escalate periods of crisis for children and young people, therefore reducing visits to emergency departments and avoiding admissions to psychiatric hospitals.
Web: Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) :: West London NHS Trust
Best For You
Best for you is a website for young people offering a wide range of tried-and-tested digital resources, providing 24/7 support for young people. It also connects organisations within and beyond the NHS to provide early intervention support, clinical assessment and specialist treatment.
Visit the Best for you website.
Chat Health
ChatHealth is a safe, secure and confidential text messaging service that is designed for young people aged 11-19 to easily and anonymously get in touch with one of our school nurses, for confidential advice and support regarding their health. The service is manned by Specialist Community Public Health Nurses who respond to messages within 24 working hours.
Below is the national ChatHealth link where you can select Hounslow and access ChatHealth.
Tel: 07507 333176
Hounslow School Nursing
Hounslow School Nursing is a universal service for children aged 5-19 years old who attend a school in Hounslow, are home schooled in Hounslow, or are not in education but living in Hounslow.
Below is the link to the school nurse website, to access SN details and referral forms, ChatHealth / The Lancaster model and more infromation.
Tel: 020 3691 1012 - Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm (excludes bank holidays)
Web: School nursing Hounslow :: West London NHS Trust
The Circle, a crisis prevention café
The Circle is a hub space and café that offers mental health support for young people in Ealing and Hounslow who are near, or at a crisis point with their mental health.
Digital Wellbeing Support
Best For You
Best for you is a website for young people offering a wide range of tried-and-tested digital resources, providing 24/7 support for young people. It also connects organisations within and beyond the NHS to provide early intervention support, clinical assessment and specialist treatment.
Visit the Best for you website.
Kooth
Kooth is an online mental wellbeing community providing free, safe, and anonymous support for children and young people. Signing up is free providing access to a range of mental health and wellbeing support resources including counsellors on chat, and the Kooth podcast, all online and anonymous.
Lumi Nova app
Lumi nova: tales of courage, is a digital therapeutic that helps with the symptoms of worries or anxiety for children aged 7-12 years with mild to moderate needs, helping them learn skills to self-manage their worries/anxiety in an engaging intergalactic adventure game (app).
Young Minds
A guide to Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services for children and young people.