Mental Health Crisis: UK Support Resources When You Need Urgent Help

If you're reading this in crisis—right now, this moment—please skip to the Immediate Crisis Contacts section below. Help is available. You don't have to do this alone.

If you're reading this to prepare, or to support someone else, this guide will walk you through what a mental health crisis looks like, what resources exist in the UK, and what actually happens when you reach out for urgent help.

Let's be clear about something: reaching out in a mental health crisis isn't weakness, dramatics, or attention-seeking. It's survival. It's courage.

If you're in crisis, you're not "overreacting." You're responding to genuine, overwhelming distress. And there are people whose job—whose calling—is to help you through this.

TL;DR - Immediate Crisis Contacts:

• 999 - Life-threatening emergency, immediate suicide risk
• Samaritans: 116 123 (free, 24/7) - Someone to talk to, no judgement
• Shout: Text 85258 - Crisis text support, 24/7
• NHS 111 (Option 2) - Mental health crisis support and advice
• Papyrus (Under 35): 0800 068 4141 - Suicide prevention for young people
• Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams (CRHT) - Via NHS 111 or GP out-of-hours

What Is a Mental Health Crisis?

A mental health crisis is when you're experiencing such severe distress that you're struggling to function or keep yourself safe.

This might look like:

• Suicidal thoughts or plans: Actively thinking about or planning to end your life
• Self-harm urges you can't resist: Overwhelming impulse to hurt yourself
• Severe panic or anxiety: Debilitating fear, dissociation, or hyperventilation
• Psychotic symptoms: Hallucinations, delusions, severe confusion about reality
• Complete inability to function: Can't eat, sleep, care for yourself, or manage basic safety
• Overwhelming despair: Feeling like you can't survive another hour, let alone another day

You don't need to be actively suicidal to qualify as a crisis. If you're in severe distress and don't know how to cope, that's enough.

Immediate Crisis Contacts (UK)

1. Emergency Services: 999

When to call:

• You've taken an overdose or seriously harmed yourself
• You're about to attempt suicide
• Someone else is at immediate risk of serious harm
• You're experiencing severe psychosis and are unsafe
• You're unable to keep yourself safe right now

What happens: Police and/or ambulance will attend. You'll be taken to A&E for assessment. This isn't criminalising mental health—it's getting you immediate medical and psychiatric support.

Important: Police are trained in mental health response. They're there to keep you safe, not to judge or punish.

2. Samaritans: 116 123 (Free, 24/7)

When to call:

• You're struggling to cope
• You feel suicidal but aren't in immediate danger
• You need someone to talk to, no questions asked
• You're in distress and don't know what to do

What happens: A trained volunteer listens without judgement. They won't tell you what to do, give advice, or try to "fix" you. They'll listen, help you process, and stay with you through the worst moments.

You can call as many times as you need. You can hang up and call back. You can cry, rage, or sit in silence. There's no "right" way to use Samaritans.

Also available: Email (jo@samaritans.org, response within 24 hours), face-to-face at local branches

3. Shout: Text 85258 (Free, 24/7)

When to use:

• You're in crisis but can't/don't want to talk on the phone
• You need immediate text-based support
• You're experiencing suicidal thoughts, self-harm urges, overwhelming anxiety, or severe distress

What happens: Text SHOUT to 85258. You'll be connected to a trained crisis volunteer within minutes. They'll have a text conversation with you, help you move to a calmer state, and create a safety plan.

All texts are confidential. Standard network charges apply, but the service itself is free.

4. NHS 111 (Select Mental Health Option)

When to call:

• You're in mental health crisis but not immediate danger
• You need advice on where to access urgent support
• It's out of hours and you can't reach your GP or crisis team
• You need assessment for Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team

What happens: You'll speak to a trained mental health professional. They'll assess your situation and direct you to appropriate services:

• Crisis Resolution Team referral
• Emergency GP appointment
• Signposting to crisis cafés or sanctuaries
• Advice on managing until services open

5. Papyrus HOPELineUK: 0800 068 4141

For under-35s experiencing suicidal thoughts

When to call:

• You're under 35 and feeling suicidal
• You're worried about a young person who might be suicidal

Hours: 9am-midnight weekdays, 2pm-midnight weekends, 2pm-10pm bank holidays

What happens: You'll speak to trained suicide prevention advisors who specialise in supporting young people. They can safety plan, listen, and signpost to additional support.

6. Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams (CRHT)

When to access:

• You're in severe mental health crisis
• You need intensive support to avoid hospital admission
• You're experiencing psychotic symptoms, severe mood disturbance, or overwhelming distress

How to access: Via NHS 111, GP out-of-hours service, or A&E. Some areas have direct CRHT contact numbers (search "[Your area] crisis team" online).

What happens: CRHT provides intensive home-based support—daily visits, medication management, crisis planning. They work to stabilise you at home rather than admitting you to hospital.

Availability varies by area. Not all regions have 24/7 CRHT access, but out-of-hours coverage is improving.

Other Important Helplines

Mind Infoline: 0300 123 3393

Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm - General mental health information and signposting (not crisis line)

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): 0800 58 58 58

Daily, 5pm-midnight - Support for men experiencing crisis

The Mix (Under 25): 0808 808 4994

Daily, 4pm-11pm - Mental health support for young people, also webchat

Rethink Mental Illness Advice Line: 0808 801 0525

Mon-Fri, 9:30am-4pm - Support for people with severe mental illness and carers

No Panic: 0844 967 4848

Daily, 10am-10pm - Anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, phobias

When to Go to A&E

Go to A&E if:

• You've harmed yourself and need medical treatment
• You've taken an overdose (even if you feel fine—paracetamol, for example, causes delayed but serious damage)
• You're experiencing suicidal thoughts and don't feel safe
• You're having a severe mental health crisis and can't access crisis services
• You're experiencing psychosis and need immediate assessment

What happens at A&E:

1. Triage: You'll be assessed for medical and psychiatric risk
2. Medical treatment: If you've harmed yourself, physical injuries are treated first
3. Psychiatric liaison: A mental health nurse or psychiatrist will assess you
4. Crisis planning: They'll discuss options: admission, crisis team referral, outpatient follow-up, or discharge with safety plan

Waiting times: A&E mental health assessment can involve long waits (several hours). Bring water, a phone charger, and someone supportive if possible.

Will you be forced to stay? Usually not. Most people are treated and discharged with follow-up support. Involuntary admission (sectioning) happens only if clinicians believe you're at immediate, serious risk and refuse voluntary admission.

Crisis Cafés and Sanctuaries

Many areas now offer crisis cafés or mental health sanctuaries—calm, non-clinical spaces where you can access support without going to A&E.

What they offer:

• Safe environment during distress
• Non-judgemental listening
• De-escalation support
• Signposting to ongoing services
• Light refreshments and comfort

How to find them: Search "[Your area] crisis café" or "[Your area] mental health sanctuary." NHS 111 can also direct you.

Hours: Typically evenings/weekends (when other services are closed), but varies by location.

GP and Out-of-Hours Services

During GP hours: Call your GP surgery and request an urgent same-day appointment for mental health crisis. Receptionists are trained to prioritise mental health emergencies.

Out-of-hours: Call NHS 111 or your GP surgery's out-of-hours number (often diverts to 111). You can access emergency GP appointments for mental health crises.

What About Therapy in a Crisis?

Short answer: Standard therapy appointments aren't designed for acute crisis management.

If you're in crisis:

• Your regular therapist may offer emergency phone support (check their policy)
• Private therapists often can't provide 24/7 crisis cover
• Crisis services (above) are specifically designed for this

However:

• Therapy helps prevent crises (building coping skills, addressing underlying issues)
• After a crisis, therapy is crucial for understanding what led to it and preventing recurrence

If you're already in therapy and entering crisis, contact your therapist to discuss interim support and safety planning.

Safety Planning: Preparing for Crisis Before It Hits

You can't always prevent crises, but you can prepare.

Create a crisis plan when you're stable:

1. Warning signs:

• What thoughts/feelings signal I'm heading toward crisis?
• Physical sensations? Behaviour changes?

2. Coping strategies:

• What's worked before? (Grounding, calling a friend, walking, breathing exercises)
• List them specifically

3. Supportive contacts:

• Who can I call? (Name, number, when they're available)
• Include professional contacts (GP, crisis team, therapist)

4. Distractions:

• Films, books, games that help
• Physical activities (walk, shower, bake)

5. Safe environment:

• Remove means of harm if possible (sharps, medications, alcohol)
• Identify safe places (friend's house, crisis café)

6. Emergency contacts:

• Samaritans, Shout, 999, NHS 111
• Keep these saved in your phone

Share your plan with someone you trust (friend, family, therapist). When you're in crisis, thinking clearly is hard—having a plan externalises the thinking.

Supporting Someone Else in Crisis

If someone you care about is in crisis:

Do:

• Listen without judgement
• Take them seriously (never dismiss suicidal talk as "attention-seeking")
• Ask directly: "Are you thinking about suicide?" (This doesn't plant the idea; it opens conversation)
• Offer practical help: "Can I call someone with you? Can I stay with you?"
• Remove immediate means of harm if safe to do so
• Call emergency services if they're at immediate risk

Don't:

• Minimise: "You have so much to live for"
• Problem-solve: "Just do X and you'll feel better"
• Promise to keep secrets if they're at serious risk
• Leave them alone if they're unsafe

Look after yourself too. Supporting someone in crisis is emotionally draining. You can't pour from an empty cup. Use support services yourself if needed.

After the Crisis: What Next?

Crisis services stabilise you—they're not long-term support. After immediate danger passes:

Follow up with:

• GP: Review medication, referral to mental health services
• IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies): Free NHS talking therapy (via GP referral or self-referral)
• Community Mental Health Team (CMHT): For ongoing severe mental health needs
• Private therapy: If accessible, for regular ongoing support
• Peer support groups: Rethink Mental Illness, Mind, local groups

Crisis as information: A crisis tells you something. Maybe current treatment isn't working. Maybe life stressors have exceeded your coping capacity. Maybe underlying issues need deeper addressing.

Use the crisis as data, not evidence of failure.

The Hardest Part: Actually Reaching Out

I know. You don't want to be a burden. You're scared of what people will think. You're convinced it's not "bad enough." You're terrified of being sectioned or judged.

Here's what I want you to know:

Crisis services exist for you. Not for some hypothetical "worse" person. For you, right now, in this moment.

You won't be told off for "wasting time." You won't be laughed at. Crisis workers have heard it all. Your distress is valid.

And if the first person you reach doesn't help, reach out again. Services are stretched, and sometimes you need to push. That's not your fault. Keep reaching until someone hears you.

Final Thoughts

Mental health crises are terrifying. They feel endless. They feel unbearable.

But they are also survivable. With support, with time, with the right intervention—you can move through them.

Every person who's called Samaritans at 3am and survived the night. Every person who went to A&E and got the help they needed. Every person who texted Shout and made it through—they're proof that crisis doesn't have to be the end.

You can be another one of those stories. The one who reached out. The one who got through. The one who's still here.

Please reach out. Please let someone help you carry this, even for just a few minutes.

You matter. Your life matters. And there are people ready to help you hold on until the crisis passes.

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If you're struggling with ongoing mental health challenges and want support building resilience, I'm Annabel Kicks, a BACP-registered therapist in Fulham, London. I offer in-person and online therapy focused on understanding patterns, developing coping strategies, and creating safety plans for difficult times. Book a free 15-minute consultation when you're ready.

Note: I don't provide 24/7 crisis support, but I can work with you between crises to build the skills and insight that reduce their frequency and intensity.