Samaritans
Samaritans offer a safe place for you to talk any time you like, in your own way- about whatever is getting to you. You don’t have to be suicidal. Call Samaritans for free, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Nearly everyone is aware of the Samaritans helpline number. Did you know they also have other contact options? A telephone call may not work for everyone, for example someone may have impaired hearing.
Write a letter
Sometimes writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you better understand them.
Call us free day or night on 116 123. If you need to talk to a Samaritan urgently, you may find that using another service is quicker.
Writing a letter can be a personal and safe way for you to get your feelings across. It might be too upsetting to talk about certain things on the phone, and writing everything down can help you work through it.
If you don’t have easy access to a computer or telephone, or just don’t like email or talking on the phone, you can write to us for free here: Freepost SAMARITANS LETTERS
You can explain your situation in as much detail as you feel comfortable with and we’ll aim to reply within 7 days. A hand-written response that you can keep and refer to may also suit you better.
Sometimes people worry that they can’t write well. You don’t need to worry about spelling, grammar or the quality of your handwriting. You can write freely, without embarrassment or fear of being judged.
Write an email
Sometimes writing things down and taking some time to reflect can help you understand them better.
Response time: It may take several days to get a response by email
I need to talk to someone now
If you need to talk to someone now you can call us on 116 123 or use our online chat service. If you need emergency services contact 999.
Writing an email can be a calm and safe way to work through what’s on your mind.
Samaritans volunteers answer each email that comes through to jo@samaritans.org.
It may take several days to receive a reply by email. If you need someone straight away, you can call us on 116 123 any time day or night.
You don’t have to be suicidal to use this service. Some people use email when they just need to offload something. Others use it to share something that is difficult for them to work through, or when they are going through a difficult time in their life and don’t want to face it alone.
Sometimes people worry they can’t write well – no matter your spelling, punctuation or how you express yourself, we’re here.
If you prefer, you can write to us by letter.
What if I’m d/Deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impediment?
Callers who are d/Deaf or who have hearing or speech impairments can contact us for support by email by using jo@samaritans.org or by using the Next Generation Text (NGT) service.
Next Generation Text is not specific to Samaritans and can be used on any telephone number. You can contact Samaritans in this way using 0330 094 5717. For clarity, this service doesn’t work with 116 123.
What if I’m under 18?
You can still get in touch with us. We’re here for you, whatever your age. Our first responsibility is to you, not your parents or guardian.
You can talk to us about whatever is on your mind, we’ll listen. This might include how you look, problems at school or college, how people are treating you, and worries about exams or money.
What if I have mental health issues?
You can still get in touch with us. We provide the same support to people with mental health issues as we do for anyone else.
If you have a mental health diagnosis, you can talk about it with us, or you may want to talk to us about something else that’s troubling you, and that’s fine too.
We know that people with the same diagnosis may have very different experiences. We’ll explore what living with your mental health issue means for you. Your experience is the most important thing to us, not the label.
Because our volunteers aren’t trained mental health professionals, when you talk about your diagnosis or medication, we may not always be familiar with the medical terms