How can I get urgent help for my mental health?
This information tells you how you can get urgent help for your mental health. It is for people who are 18 or over and live in England.
You might need urgent help for your mental health for different reasons.
You could be very worried about thoughts of suicide or self-harm, or be experiencing mania or psychosis.
You may have seriously harmed yourself or feel like others are at risk.
There are these different options for urgent help and support:
- Go to the accident and emergency (A&E) department at your local hospital
- Call 999
- Contact NHS 111 for urgent mental health support. You can call NHS 111 or visit their website. You will need to answer some questions. They will refer you to an appropriate service or tell you what to do next.
- Contact your local NHS mental health team, if you are already being treated by them. You should have a care plan, that says who to contact if you need urgent help.
- Ask your GP for an emergency appointment. They can make a referral to the local NHS crisis team if necessary.
- Emotional support lines, like the Samaritans - see ‘I want to talk to someone’ below for more options.
Also, it might help to read our advice and information on:
I need help for someone else
You might know someone who is 18 or over, lives in England and is experiencing a mental health crisis. They might need urgent help and support.
You can read our advice and information on Getting help for someone in a mental health crisis.
Also, you might find our following advice and information useful:
Other ways to find support
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© Rethink Mental Illness 2025
Last updated April 2025
Next update April 2026, subject to any changes
Version number 1