TW: suicidal thoughts/ideation, mental health
Texting in to the Crisis Text Line can be scary. There are thoughts that rush through your head making you wonder if your experiences are valid enough to seek help.
Crisis Text Line “provides free, 24/7 support via text message” and has done so for over 1.4 million people in the last year alone. From school to COVID-19 to stress to anxiety to suicidal ideation, Crisis Text Line is there. If it is a crisis to you, it is worthy enough to text the Crisis Text Line about it.
While many see hotlines as only being a place to text when you are having suicidal ideations, Crisis Text Line is more than a suicide hotline. When texting in, your conversation can be a place to vent, seek out resources or find out how to get emergency care. Everything you talk about is kept confidential unless you are at risk of seriously harming yourself or others.
No matter the time, Crisis Text Line is there, but there do tend to be peak windows. Oftentimes later at night and during lunch hours, there is a longer wait time to be connected to a trained crisis counselor. While waiting, you do receive check in prompts as well as grounding resources to use in the meantime.
Services are now offered in both English and Spanish, allowing you to use the language that is most comfortable for you to communicate in. Trained crisis counselors often find support themselves while volunteering on the hotline.
With cohorts starting weekly, volunteer crisis counselors are continually being accepted to the program. Many crisis counselors report that after volunteering for the hotline, they themselves are more likely to use the service as they have seen the service work for others. If you are interested in becoming a crisis counselor, Crisis Text Line is currently accepting applications.
Now more than ever it is important to take advantage of mental health resources. You are loved so much and everything you experience is completely valid. While it may feel like there is no one to talk to about the thoughts racing through your head, Crisis Text Line is there.
You can connect with free 24/7 support by texting HOME to 741741 to talk with a trained crisis counselor.
Please know that you are not alone,
Her