What to do if you are in crisis?

I am not a crisis service so if you feel like you can't keep yourself safe and you need immediate help call 999 for an ambulance or go straight to Accident & Emergency (A&E) unit, especially if you think you are at risk of acting on suicidal thoughts or you have seriously harmed yourself and need medical attention.

When you arrive at the A&E the liaison psychiatry team or mental health team might:

• make an initial assessment of your mental health needs (sometimes called a psychiatric evaluation)

• help keep you safe for the short-term

• prescribe medication to help you cope with symptoms you may be experiencing right now

• put you in contact with other crisis services, such as your local crisis team (CRHT)

• decide whether you can go home, or if you need to be admitted to hospital

Helplines list that you can contact when you are feeling low and need someone to listen.

• Samaritans - Call 116 123 (open 24/7) or Samaritans Welsh Language Line on 0808 164 0123 (7pm–11pm every day), email jo@samaritans.org or visit some branches in person. To talk about anything that is upsetting you.

• National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK. You can call them on 0800 689 5652 (open 24/7). They offer a supportive listening service to anyone with thoughts of suicide.

• Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). You can call the CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day) if you are struggling and need to talk. Or if you prefer not to speak on the phone, you could use the CALM webchat service.

• C.A.L.L. If you live in Wales, you can call the Community Advice and Listening Line on 0800 132 737 (open 24/7) or you can text 'help' followed by a question to 81066.

• SANEline. If you're experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10.30pm every day).

• The Mix. If you're under 25, you can call The Mix on 0808 808 4994 (3pm–midnight every day), request support by email using this form on The Mix website or use their crisis text messenger service.

• Papyrus HOPELINEUK. If you're under 35 and struggling with suicidal feelings, or concerned about a young person who might be struggling, you can call Papyrus HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141 (weekdays 10am-10pm, weekends 2pm-10pm and bank holidays 2pm–10pm), email pat@papyrus-uk.org or text 07786 209 697.

• Switchboard. If you self-define as LGBT+ you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 (10am–10pm every day), email chris@switchboard.lgbt or use their webchat service. Phone operators all identify as LGBT+.

Mental health emergencies are serious. You're not wasting anyone's time.