If your life or someone else's is in danger right now, call your local emergency number: 112 in the European Union, 911 in the United States and Canada, 999 or 112 in the UK. If you are thinking about suicide, call a helpline (see below): someone will answer, day and night.
You did the right thing by opening this page. What you are feeling can be very heavy, and you don't have to carry it alone. The numbers below are free or low cost, and they are answered by professionals or trained volunteers. You can call even if you don't know what to say.
1. Immediate danger
If you have already started to hurt yourself, if you have taken too much medication or if someone is in danger, call the emergency number first.
- European Union, including France and Belgium: 112, the European emergency number, free, from any phone, in every EU country.
- United States and Canada: 911.
- United Kingdom and Ireland: 999 or 112.
- Switzerland: 144 for medical emergencies.
- Elsewhere: call the emergency number of the country you are in.
- You can also go to the emergency department (A&E) of the nearest hospital.
2. Talk to someone, day and night
- United Kingdom and Ireland: Samaritans, 116 123, free, 24/7.
- United States: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 988, call or text, 24/7.
- Canada: 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline, 9-8-8, call or text, 24/7, in English and French.
- Belgium: Centre de Prévention du Suicide, 0800 32 123, free, 24/7; in Dutch, Zelfmoordlijn 1813.
- Switzerland: La Main Tendue, 143, 24/7.
- Elsewhere: the free directory findahelpline.com shows you a helpline near you, by phone or by message.
3. In France
These lines answer in French.
- 3114: national suicide prevention line. Free, 24/7, in mainland France and the French overseas departments. Healthcare professionals will listen to you, whether you are thinking about suicide or worried about someone.
- 15: SAMU, medical emergencies. If you have already started to hurt yourself, if you have taken too much medication or if someone is in danger, call this number first.
- 112: European emergency number, free, from any phone.
- 114: emergencies by text message (SMS, or through the 114 app), if you cannot speak, or if you are deaf or hard of hearing.
- SOS Amitié: 09 72 39 40 50. Anonymous listening, day and night, to talk about whatever is weighing on you. More information on sosamitie.org.
- Suicide Écoute: 01 45 39 40 00. Anonymous listening, 24/7.
- Fil Santé Jeunes: 0 800 235 236. For 12- to 25-year-olds, anonymous and free (opening hours on filsantejeunes.com).
- 17: police and gendarmerie, if you are in danger, including from violence.
- 3919: Violences Femmes Info, listening and guidance for women who are victims of violence, free and anonymous, 24/7.
- 119: Allô Enfance en danger, for a child or teenager who is in danger or at risk of being so, free, 24/7.
4. While you wait
- Don't stay alone if you can avoid it: call or message someone you trust, or go somewhere with other people around.
- Put away anything that could hurt you (medication, dangerous objects), or ask someone to keep it for you.
- Breathe slowly: breathe in through your nose, then breathe out long and slow through your mouth. Very dark thoughts rise like a wave, and they come back down.
- If you have prepared a safety plan, now is the time to read it again.
5. For someone else
Worried about someone? The helpline in your country also answers the people around them (in France, 3114): it can help you work out how to talk about it and what to do. If the person is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number (in France, 15 or 112). Asking them directly whether they are thinking about suicide does not put the idea in their head: it shows them that they can talk about it.
6. In the app
In the Depression app, the red lifebuoy at the top of the app's screens opens help in a single tap: breathe, call someone you trust, read your safety plan again, call a helpline or the emergency services. It is free, with no subscription, works offline and remains available even when the app is locked. In France it offers French helplines; elsewhere, 112 and the findahelpline.com directory.
The app is not an emergency service: it does not monitor anyone and does not alert anyone on your behalf. You choose who to call, and when. Our email address is not monitored at all times: never use it in an emergency.
These services are independent of Depression. The numbers were checked on the date shown at the top of the page; if in doubt, each service's official website is the authoritative source.