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You are wanted. You are loved. You are needed. 

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You are wanted. You are loved. You are needed. 

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If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out to the lifeline or to someone you trust.

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We can all help prevent suicide. The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

988

¡Los servicios de texto y chat de 988 Lifeline ya están disponibles en español!
Haga clic aquí para obtener información sobre cómo acceder a todos los servicios en español.

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Stock photo by iStock.

The 988 Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. We're committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness.

About The Lifeline

Anyone could be struggling with suicide. Find more specific resources below.

I'm Struggling With Individuals with Neurodivergence

We understand that every struggle is different. Experience the stories of people like you, and how they overcame crisis to find hope and recovery.
read stories of hope & recovery

First, you'll hear an automated message featuring additional options while your call is routed to your local 988 Lifeline network crisis center.

We'll play you a little music while we connect you to a skilled, trained crisis worker.

A trained crisis worker at your local center will answer the phone.

This person will listen to you, understand how your problem is affecting you, provide support, and get you the help you need.

988 Lifeline Center calls are free and confidential, and we're available 24/7.

Show What Happens When You Call The Lifeline

Everyone Plays A Role In Suicide Prevention

Get in touch

Call the Lifeline

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Skip to main content We can all help prevent suicide. The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States. 988 ¡Los servicios de texto y chat de 988 Lifeline ya están disponibles en español!

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Does the idea of mindfulness feel silly to you?

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Does the idea of mindfulness feel silly to you?

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In this video, students share their own experiences during a mindfulness minute in their classroom.

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High school students tell their story of learning to pay attention to the here and now. Their teacher, Ms. O, observes a meaningful shift in the classroom.

"What Is Mindfulness?" was filmed at Gateway High School in San Francisco by our friends at Soffin Films.

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"What Is Mindfulness?" - Watch how this high school is awakening kindness and curiosity | Mindful Schools

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High school students tell their story of learning to pay attention to the here and now. Their teacher, Ms. O, observes a meaningful shift in the classroom. "What Is Mindfulness?" was filmed at Gateway High School in San Francisco by our friends at Soffin Films.

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Do something nice for yourself every day!

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Do something nice for yourself every day!

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While many COVID restrictions have been lifted, it is still important to care for your health and mental well-being. Can you choose one of these suggestions to do each day?

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This website gives you a few ways to boost your self-esteem and help you feel more connected to others.

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Everyone feels awkward, insecure, or alone at times-especially during adolescence. Between how media depicts growing up, mean kids at school, and puberty, it's unfortunately common to not feel great about yourself sometimes. The secret is: Most of your peers feel this way too-even the ones who seem to have it all.
Some of your peers say they struggle to feel accepted because:

"Everyone else seems to have an easier time getting through life"

"It's hard to relate and trust people"

"I don't have the same interests as others my age"

"There's been a long history of brutalization of my people"

"Some of us don't believe in the same things"

"I overthink and it makes me feel disconnected"

"Peers might not like how I act"

"I'm not popular and am automatically seen as weird, even to people who don't know me yet"

Why is it so hard to feel good about my social life?

From around ages 10 to 24, you're in a stage of life where you feel social stressors more intensely-it's just part of how the human brain works. These days, young people are also feeling lonelier than any other age group, and about twice as many adolescents worldwide are experiencing loneliness than just 10 years ago.

Some experts think kids and teens have lower self-esteem nowadays in part because of technology -there are big differences between socializing online and in-person, and things like miscommunications, social comparisons, and fear of missing out (FOMO) can end in hurt feelings. Or maybe you're getting bullied or being excluded by your peers, or have been in the past, and can't stop worrying about it happening again. Keep in mind that at this age, your social circle is likely still limited to people in your school or hometown-depending on where you live, there simply might not be many people around you who have the same interests, hobbies, or values for you to be friends with. And even if you do have plenty of friends to hang out with, it's still possible to feel lonely or like others don't accept the real you.

Tips for building self-esteem

Self-esteem refers to your overall sense of worth-how much you like and respect yourself! Healthy self-esteem can help you feel empowered to reach your goals, express your needs, and have a more positive outlook on life.

Remember: You can't read people's minds. It's easy to assume how someone feels about you-based on a text they never replied to, a weird look they gave you in the hall, or just the fact that you've never really interacted. None of these things mean they don't like you - so try to stop your brain when it starts creating a story about what they must be thinking.

Notice your negative thoughts and challenge them. When you catch yourself thinking in extremes (nobody likes me, I'll never have any friends), try to challenge them or find the middle ground. Does nobody like you, or do you feel unwanted by a few people at school? Will you never have friends, or are you just surrounded by the same classmates you've been with for years or people who aren't like you? Most of us are our own worst critics.

Use positive self-talk. Everyone has strengths and (many!) good qualities. What do you like or appreciate about yourself? Write these things down so that you have a running list to add more to as you think of them! If coming up with specific things feels too hard right now, try repeating basic affirmations, like I am strong or I matter. You can also ask a friend or loved one what they think are your best qualities to get you started.

Practice self-compassion. There's a lot of talk about the importance of self-love, but that doesn't always feel doable. Sometimes even just liking yourself feels too hard. Start with trying to not hate or dislike yourself. Can you think of reasons why you deserve some kindness and patience? There's a lot going on in the world right now-the best you can do is good enough.

Building community

There are a lot of different ways to form and be in a community. A community is a group of people who usually share interests, neighborhood, school, religion, or other things in common.

Chat with a classmate you think you'd get along with. Just because you haven't hung out with someone before doesn't mean they wouldn't be interested in being friends. Talking to or making plans with someone new can be intimidating, but all new friendships have to start somewhere.

Get involved outside of school. If you don't relate to other students around you, it's easy to feel alone and isolated at school. Luckily, school isn't your only option for connecting with peers. Look into local clubs, volunteer opportunities, library teen programs, sports, or community classes to meet people that you already have something in common with.

Try to start a conversation with one new person every day. It might feel weird at first, but nothing has to come of it. Not all conversations turn into friendships, but getting used to interacting with new people will help you feel more prepared when you do meet someone who could be a great friend.

Be friendly to people you see in passing. Quick interactions with people, like a Starbucks barista, the grocery store cashier, or your bus driver, wouldn't seem like they'd make a difference, but it plays a pretty big role in helping you feel connected to your broader community. Your community isn't just your friends-it's also the people you recognize as you go about your days.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.

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Everyone feels awkward, insecure, or alone at times-especially during adolescence. Between how media depicts growing up, mean kids at school, and puberty, it's unfortunately common to not feel great about yourself sometimes. The secret is: Most of your peers feel this way too-even the ones who seem to have it all.

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Can social media be beneficial for your mental health? Yes! Can it also be harmful? Yes!

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Social media plays a big role in modern society, especially for young people-but it's still pretty new. It's one of the biggest differences about the way you're growing up and the way your parents, teachers, and other adults in your life grew up. While you might not be able to imagine a world ever existing without social media, researchers are still learning about its impact on mental health.

Widespread social media use

Nearly all teenagers-94%-in developed countries use social media. In the United States, 95% of teens have access to a smartphone and 45% consider themselves to be online "almost constantly." There are some good things that come from being well-connected to each other in the virtual world, but it can cause harm as well.

Pros

Identity exploration. For many young people, especially those in more rural areas, social media can help them figure out who they are and learn from others like them.

Connection. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, social media came to be an important way of staying connected to your friends and family who you couldn't see in person and making new friends online to help combat loneliness.

Learning new things. You can't find new interests and things you love if you don't know they exist. Social media is a great way to stumble upon new hobbies, interests, trends, tutorials, books-the list goes on.

Taking action. A lot of times, the issues the world is facing can seem too big and make you feel helpless, but social media can connect you to others for social change and help you make a difference through broader campaigns.

Cons

FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Social media lets you stay tuned in to what others are doing at all times, which can lead to feeling left out if you aren't invited or just can't make the plans.

Comparison. The things you see on social media may make you feel like your life is boring compared to others; you may find yourself comparing your body to photos of others (beware of filters and photoshop!); or you may judge how many likes/comments your posts get compared to other people.

Cyberbullying and harassment. It is easier to be mean to people from behind a screen, so internet trolls and online bullying from people you know can take place.

Information overload. The news or the general state of the world might make you feel down, but it can be hard to give yourself space when things are constantly in your news feed, and you feel like you can't stop looking. On top of that, it can be hard to know which sources to trust.

Unsafe people. Sometimes you don't know if the person you're talking to is really who they say they are. People may interact through completely fake profiles (catfishing), and others might lie about their reasons for interacting with you.

What does unhealthy social media use look like?

While there are definite benefits to being active on social media, it's important not to go overboard. Social media platforms are designed to suck you in-getting likes and comments triggers the reward system in your brain, keeping you craving more.

If you are doing any of the following or notice yourself falling into these habits, it's probably time to address how social media is impacting you:

Checking social media as soon as you wake up

Mindlessly scrolling through your feed longer than you planned to

Constantly updating your followers (photos of every meal, every activity you do)

Anxiously checking for likes and comments

Scrolling social media often while spending in-person time with others

Comparing yourself excessively to others based on what they share

Tips for a healthier relationship with social media

Reduce your use. It's easy to not realize how much time you're spending on social media each day or to get sucked into endless scrolling until all of a sudden hours have gone by. Many phones have settings where you can view your screen time and put a limit on your app usage (your phone will notify you once you've hit your allotted time). You can choose to override it, but it's a great step in becoming more aware of your use.

Unfollow or mute people whose content you don't want to see. Your social media feeds can be whatever you want them to be - and there's no reason for them to be full of posts that make you angry, sad, anxious, or have other negative feelings. Even if someone's posts don't bother you but just seeing their name triggers a negative reaction, take them off your feed. Muting is a great option if you're worried about them knowing you unfollowed them.

Limit how many news sources you follow. It's important to stay informed, but the human brain wasn't meant to take in as much scary and bad news as most of us do these days. Instead of filling your feed with news, intentionally seek out information when you want it - and make sure it's coming from well-researched sources. This way you'll know you're prepared and in the mindset to consume news instead of having it pop up when you open Instagram for a brain break.

Work on your mindset. We're all bound to see things we don't want to see on social media - friends hanging out without you, a cute couple when you're feeling lonely, or photo after photo of seemingly perfect influencers. This can put negative thoughts in your head that you can't seem to get out. Try out our tool to help overcome them.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.

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Social media plays a big role in modern society, especially for young people-but it's still pretty new. It's one of the biggest differences about the way you're growing up and the way your parents, teachers, and other adults in your life grew up.

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This survey helps you combat negative self-talk with actionable steps to feeling better.

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In this activity, you will learn skills to overcome a thought you struggle with. With practice, you can integrate these skills into your life, helping you gain greater control over your thoughts and actions.

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Are you able to identify your emotions when they start to take over? 

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Are you able to identify your emotions when they start to take over? 

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Maximillian Park gives you a few ways to tune into your emotions and help monitor your reactions to them.

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Emotional Intelligence From a Teenage Perspective | Maximilian Park | TEDxYouth@PVPHS

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Go to this link for more resources: https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools/

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Are you aware of how you interact with others? This list provides a few ways that you can reflect on your own socio-emotional experiences.