If you are in crisis, there is help you can reach right now
These lines are free, they answer at any hour, and several of them answer in Malayalam. You do not need to be sure it is serious enough.
If you or someone near you is in immediate danger, call now or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.
Call 112Lines that answer any time, day or night
Tele-MANAS
1800-89-14416Open now, 24/7
Government of India national mental health helpline. Free. Short code 14416 also works.
English, Malayalam and 18 other Indian languages
DISHA (Kerala)
1056Open now, 24/7
Kerala government health helpline run by Arogyakeralam and the National Health Mission. Free. Landline 0471-2552056 also reaches it.
Malayalam, English
Vandrevala Foundation
1860 2662 345Open now, 24/7
Round-the-clock mental health support
English, Hindi, and 6 other languages
Open during the day only
Worth knowing before you dial, so a call does not go unanswered at the moment you need it most.
9152 987 821 — iCall (TISS). Mon to Sat, 8am to 10pm IST. Professional counselling helpline by Tata Institute of Social Sciences
If you cannot speak out loud
Plenty of people cannot make a phone call from where they are. A full house, thin walls, someone in the next room, or simply not being able to get the words out. That does not leave you without options.
Text or chat instead of calling
Several services below take messages as well as calls. If speaking is not possible, say so in the first message. You will not be asked to explain why.
Write it down before you send it
You do not need the right words. "I am not safe right now" is enough to start with, and it is enough for them to help you.
Somewhere you cannot be overheard
A bathroom, a stairwell, a terrace, outside a shop. If home is the difficult part, you do not have to make the call at home.
The next few minutes
If calling feels like too much right now, start here instead. These are small and they are meant to be done in any order.
Put distance between yourself and anything you could use to hurt yourself
This one thing changes outcomes more than almost anything else you can do alone. Hand it to someone, lock it somewhere awkward to reach, or simply walk into a different room and stay there. Distance does not have to be permanent to matter. It only has to last longer than this feeling does.
You do not have to decide anything tonight
Nothing has to be resolved right now. Not the situation, not the future, not what you tell anyone. The only thing that needs to happen in the next hour is that you stay safe while the intensity comes down. It does come down.
Get near another person if you can
It does not have to be someone you talk to. A neighbour, a shop that is still open, a relative in the next room, a hospital waiting area. Being physically near another person helps even when you say nothing at all.
Slow your body down
Breathe out for longer than you breathe in, and repeat it for a couple of minutes. Cold water on your face and wrists. Both of these act on your body rather than your thoughts, which is why they still work when thinking is not working.
If you are not in danger but you are not okay
Not everyone who lands on a page like this is in an emergency. If you are exhausted, panicking, or you have been carrying something for a long time and it has stopped feeling manageable, the same lines will still talk to you. You do not have to be at your worst to be allowed to ask for help, and reaching out earlier is easier than reaching out later.
If you are worried about someone else
- Ask directly. Asking someone whether they are thinking about suicide does not put the idea in their head, and it is often a relief to be asked plainly.
- Listen longer than feels comfortable before offering solutions. Being taken seriously helps more than being reassured.
- Do not promise to keep it secret. You can promise to stay with them and to be careful about who you tell.
- Help with the practical step. Offer to sit with them while they call, or to make the call together.
- If they are in immediate danger, do not leave them alone, and call emergency services.
What happens when you call
Do I have to know what to say?
No. You can say that you do not know where to start, or that you are not okay. The person answering is trained to take it from there. Silence on the line is also allowed.
Will they tell my family or my employer?
These are confidential services. Ask them directly about their confidentiality policy at the start of the call if it would help you speak more freely. You are allowed to ask before you say anything else.
Do I have to give my name?
Generally no. You can talk without identifying yourself.
What if I am not suicidal, just not coping?
You do not need to be in danger to call. These lines are for distress, not only for emergencies. You will not be wasting anyone's time.
Does it cost anything?
The government lines listed above are free, including from a mobile.
Other directories
Find A Helpline
Global directory of crisis helplines. Search by country.
Befrienders Worldwide
Emotional support centres in 32 countries.
IASP Crisis Centres
International Association for Suicide Prevention directory.
When things are steadier and you want ongoing support rather than a helpline, ElloMind works with Malayalam-speaking psychologists. See who is available. A helpline is the right thing first.