Episode 4 Transcript: I Reviewed Free Mental Health Hotlines + Why Give Mental Health Crisis Support A(nother) Chance
Good morning y buenos dias. To my lovely friends all over the world welcome to the Noggin Podcast, a cozy mental health advocacy podcast with me, Kyarra Keele. It genuinely means so much to me that you’re here.
On this podcast we provide a safe, loving space advocating for diverse mental health dialogue in the community for people of color, educating about marginalized mental illnesses, and providing resources for mental health recovery. If that's what you’re looking for, welcome home.
If you’ve already listened to me introduce myself briefly in a different episode, you can skip ahead about 40 seconds. If you’ve never stumbled across me before, again I’m Kyarra Keele. I’m a 4-time published author, healthy lifestyle blogger of 6 years, and an aspiring polyglot currently learning 4 languages, which are Spanish, and American Sign Language and I’m also gradually learning French and Arabic. I’m a mental health ambassador working as a liaison between the community and my local health center to educate, support, and progress the mental health dialogue. I’ve been navigating the mental health system for about a decade now and I’m extremely passionate about mental health service and advocacy because I believe that no one deserves to be hurting or feeling alone in this universe. I hope this compassionate podcast will cheer you along on your good days and offer a cozy and supportive haven for you on your more difficult days.
Okay, so this is actually a rather exciting post for me and it means a lot to me, as it was inspired by my experience texting mental health hotlines at 1 or 2 in the morning as a young teen, just doing my best to make it through the night with my mental health challenges. I remember being dissatisfied with the hotline services that I received at the time...the whole process feeling rather insincere, stiff, and robotic. I also remember there being a lack of text resources compared to the plethora of call hotlines that made me uncomfortable or were inaccessible to me so late at night. Several years have passed since I’ve called or texted a hotline, so here you have it: I’ve researched, tested over 1 month period, and rated some of the most popular mental health text and chat US hotlines for you all so you know which one’s might be a good fit for you. Please note that I did not waste these hotline’s precious time, I did contact them on days when I needed genuine support to get the most authentic experience possible for you all and to be respectful of their time. With that established, I’ll also be sharing with you why and how to give mental health hotlines a chance or a second chance for when you’re in crisis or just in need of kind company. Just a heads up there will be very quick mentions of the word suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders once or twice in this episode simply for the purpose of naming or describing the different resources, just in case you need gentle notice in advance.
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All of the mental health resources I’ll be discussing in this episode are free, though text rates may apply depending on your phone plan. Please note that different hotlines and warmlines have different closing times and days which I will note individually throughout this episode. Some are closed for the weekends, after a certain time of the evening, or some close on holidays. I did my best to provide as many resources as I could that are open 24/7 or late hours but just know that if one crisis line is closed, there is always another crisis hotline you can call or text that will be open.
Before we continue today, it’s time for our Noggin Nurturing Segment where we take a quick break from the episode to do one thing to nurture and invest in ourselves. As I always say, a plant collector, I’ve learned that much like plants, our minds need gentle encouragement. So, For example, you might use this pause to motivate yourself to leap out of bed, make yourself a cozy cup of tea, take a soothing shower, do some gentle stretching...You could make a phone call to someone you love, or make that brave call to make your first or next counseling appointment, journal, make your to-do list for the day, or plan out a healthy breakfast. You could take a short 5 or 10-minute walk or if you’re on medication, you can use this time to take your meds. If you’re in the car or bus commuting you could try listening to a song that makes you feel uplifted, or planning out your day ideal mentally. If you can’t try any of those examples for the segment, you can still participate! I’d like you to make a pledge to yourself of what you’ll do to nurture yourself as soon finish your commute. I truly understand that sometimes even the most simple tasks can feel like they take all of your energy, so please pick a task that’s gentle and kind to your body and mind. For myself, today I’ll spend the segment by making my favorite cup of lime tea. All you need is a mug of hot water, then add a generous amount of lime juice and honey and stir until the honey melts. It’s amazing if you have a cold, but I honestly drink it daily just because it’s the easiest way for me to stay hydrated when I don’t feel like drinking plain water. Okay, comment below to share with me and everyone in our home how you’ll spend the break for the Noggin Nurturing segment...The Noggin Podcast is brought to you today by Anchor. A service I actually use. The anchor app is the easiest way to make a podcast, ever. It's the only app that lets you record a high-quality podcast, and distribute it everywhere (including Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts) – all in one place. No fancy equipment or podcasting experience necessary, and even better than all of that, it’s 100% free! I’ve tried plenty of other podcast editing apps that make it a headache to import and export your audio files but Anchor’s intuitive platform makes it nice and easy.
Welcome back and bienvenidos! Let’s begin by discussing why you should give hotlines a chance or another chance if your first experience wasn’t up to par. I would argue that similar to the process of connecting with a therapist, it often takes more than one try to find the right style of a hotline with helpful hotline counselors. So, I argue that even if your first experience was dismal (especially if it’s been years since you gave it a try), give it another try using text hotlines, just as I did. As I will note throughout this episode, not all hotlines are only for extreme crisis situations; any problem that you feel is causing you considerable distress is worth contacting these resources.
These hotlines are wonderful spaces to vent out the dark corners of your mind, ask questions for links to resources and support groups, and talk to someone well-trained to help you without judgment if you worry about putting too much weight on family, friends, and other non-mental health professionals. As with any element of the mental health care system, hotlines are imperfect.
My best advice is to go into the hotline chats with an open mind, be willing to try more than one hotline if the first one doesn’t work out, and don’t be afraid to ask questions to the chat counselor about their advice for dealing with the situation, getting better, or what resources are available for your struggles. I’m happy to firstly share something new that I learned about recently that may really help some of you who are struggling and that earns my top ranking for this hotline experiment.
Have you heard of “Warm lines?” They’re similar to hotlines except, as one organization called the California Peer-Run Warm Run explains on their website, it’s not called a hotline because: “Think of a pot that's been left unattended and has started to boil over. Things are burning and smoke is filling the room, and we have to act now to prevent the damage from getting worse. Distress left for too long can be like that pot--suddenly boiling over into a crisis. But it takes time and a lot of heat to get to that boiling point. What if we'd done something sooner, while things were warming up but not yet dangerously hot? The Warm Line aims to be a highly accessible, low-threshold mental health resource that people can use to seek support before they've reached the crisis point, in the hope that support now will prevent a crisis later.
In continuation of what their website reads: We also call ourselves the Warm Line because we aim to bring the warmth of authentic human connection to every conversation. Because our counselors are all peers, with their own lived experiences of mental health challenges, we speak from a place of empathy, understanding, and hope for recovery.” In the description of this audio or video if you’re on my Youtube Channel which is TheNogginPodcast you can find a link to a mix of text and call warm lines in your state: http://warmline.org/
1. As with the other hotlines in this episode, I’ve personally tested the web chat version of the California Peer-Run Warm Line which I found from the warmline list that I’ve pasted below in the description of the episode. The Peer-Run Warm Line is a non-emergency resource for anyone in the Bay Area seeking emotional support. They provide assistance via phone and webchat on a nondiscriminatory basis to anyone in need. Some concerns callers share are challenges with interpersonal relationships, anxiety, panic, depression, finance, alcohol, and drug use. Their hours are: 7am-11pm Monday through Friday. Of course, the warmline hours in your state may vary. I had a rather positive experience with this warmline. Once I quickly made an account, I waited in the chat room for about 2-3 minutes before the chat counselor arrived and greeted me warmly. I will say that the only confusing part of this warmline chat room is that when you enter the chatroom, you cannot send a message until the chat counselor enters the room, so at first I thought the chatroom wasn’t functioning for me, but once the counselor arrives, you can begin, so just be patient.
Anyway, I think this warmline and other warmlines in other states are a wonderful option if you’re looking for a more comforting and natural conversation within the realm of a non-emergency support situation. There was more of a back and forth exchange of experiences and perspectives instead of all of the questions being directed at completely me which is nice if you’re looking for someone to relate to and to learn from someone’s experiences who is already in a better place mentally. The conversations last about 40 minutes (though mine went slightly longer) which is nice to see that they don’t cut you off just because you go 10 minutes over the usual allotted time. So, if you’re going through a rough moment but not exactly in crisis mode yet, consider giving this option a try. If you are feeling a bit worse or you’re not sure if you’re in crisis but you’re leaning towards that end of the spectrum, keep listening! I have more resources for you to try.
2. Next, I tested The Crisis Text Line which I would also rank highly based on my experiment. Straight from their website: Specialized crisis counselors are just a text message away on this free, confidential 24-hour support line. I want to especially note the fact that this line is available to support you 24/7 throughout the day because I feel this is extremely valuable for those of us who tend to have crises after traditional closing hours and late at night. The reality is that depression doesn’t care what time it is. Anxiety doesn’t care what time it is. Schizophrenia, bipolar, OCD, ideation...they don’t care what time it is. We can feel the symptoms of these disorders and thought patterns at any time of the day or night. So, while I can understand the challenges of staffing a hotline 24/7, it very much so pained me and continues to pain me to see so many hotlines that are closed after early evening or on weekends when mental illnesses often do not run on a sort of simple, orderly schedule.
Now, in terms of utilizing this resource: First, you’re in crisis. That doesn’t just mean suicide: it’s any painful emotion for which you need support. Meaning that they support you and talk you through situations related to, for example, anxiety, depression, abuse, self harm, school, loneliness, bullying and so on. In continuation of what their website states: You text them at 741741.Your opening message can say anything: The opt-in words you see advertised ("HELLO," "START") just help them know where people are learning about them. The first two responses are automated. They tell you that you're being connected with a Crisis Counselor, and invite you to share a bit more.
The Crisis Counselor is a trained volunteer, not a professional. They can provide support, but not medical advice. Crisis Counselors are dedicated, trained, supervised volunteers from around the United States. After a rigorous multi-stage application process, background check, and training program, each commits to volunteering 4 hours a week until 200 hours are met. Supervisors, who are staff who all have Master's degrees in a relevant field, crisis intervention experience, oversee the Crisis Counselors. Again from their website: our goal is to respond to every texter in under 5 minutes. During high volume times, like at night or when we “go viral” on social media, wait times may be longer. They do not charge texters. If your cell phone plan is with AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, or Verizon, texts to our short code, 741741 are free of charge. If you have a plan with a different carrier, it works just like texting a friend: standard text message rates apply. To further protect your privacy, these messages do not appear on a phone bill.
Now, the first time, I texted this hotline was actually on Christmas evening, and due to likely a high demand, I had to quite a long wait time (nearly an hour), however every 10-15 minutes or so during that wait I was sent reassuring message updates saying that I was still in line to be helped and there were links to resources and helpful distractions while the time passed. The next time I attempted to test the hotline was a few days later, and I waited for exactly one minute before I was successfully connected to a crisis counselor. The counselor was a bit more formal in the sense that he made the conversation almost completely about me, asked most of the questioned and was solution-oriented while the “warmline” conversation was a bit more back and forth exchange of questions and comments. We spoke for about 50 minutes total. The things that I appreciate about this hotline are that they, again, do provide 24/7 help and comfort and that, they aim to match you to a counselor within 5 minutes.
3. The 3rd hotline I tested was the TrevorText which also has a chat and call version from the Trevor Project. All 3 versions are available to support you 24/7 which is wonderful news. TrevorText is a confidential and secure resource that provides live help for LGBTQ youth with a trained specialist, over text messages. To access this one you can simply text START to 678678. As small note, if you choose to use the TrevorChat, they recommend that you use a computer instead of a phone or tablet as you may have technical difficulties. But if you feel more comfortable using a phone or you don’t have a computer, the TrevorText option will be ideal for you.
After texting the TrevorText hotline, I waited for about 50 minutes to be connected to a counselor, before I ended the chat, which was severely disappointing, though I wasn’t ready to give up completely. I next tried the TrevorChat which is an online instant chat on their website which again is linked below in the description or transcription. To begin the chat, you simply type in your first name, rank how upset you are, and let them know if you’re having life-ending thoughts, fill in your gender identity, ethnicity, and 1 or 2 other option questions such as school name. This quick form took me less than a minute. While you’re in the waiting room, they have a calming breathing exercise motion picture set up to distract you, which is a nice touch that is also available on the Crisis Text Line. There is a note saying that the wait time is usually just a few minutes but that it can be longer if they are very busy.
I did try both the text and chat 2 days after Christmas which is still right in the middle of the holiday season, so I’d imagine that is why the wait time was substantially longer than I hoped. I waited another 35 minutes in the TrevorChat hoping to be connected to someone, but to no avail, so I ended the chat. I did try again waiting 35 minutes the following day but still was not connected to the counselor within that time frame. I do have a lot of respect and high hopes for this service and what they represent and aim to do for so many LGBTQ youth struggling, but I was a bit disappointed that I was unable to speak to any counselors after such extensive waiting. So, while I do still encourage you to try this resource in case your experience is different than mine, I would recommend that if you aren’t being connected after a while, try the Crisis Text Line mentioned above which appears to connect a lot faster or if the situation is more urgent you can simply call the TrevorLifeline.
4. And...the final hotline that I personally tested and will be reviewing today is the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) text and online chat helplines. The NEDA Helpline is available Monday-Thursday from 9AM to 9PM ET, and Friday from 9AM to 5PM ET. You can contact the Helpline for support, resources and treatment options for yourself or a loved one. This hotline is closed on major US holidays such as New Years, Martin Luther King Day, Thanksgiving, partial closures on Christmas and a few other holidays. You can use Click-to-Chat to speak with a live, trained Helpline volunteer if you prefer instant messaging to speaking on the phone. And for crisis situations, text "NEDA" to 741741 to be connected with a trained volunteer at Crisis Text Line.
Please note that you can always leave a message for the Helpline if it is not currently available and they will return your call or message promptly. I texted NEDA to the number and was connected to a trained counselor within exactly 1 minute. Because this NEDA helpline appears to be linked to the Crisis Text Line because the text number is the same, I’d imagine that’s why the response times were equally rapid. Either way, the counselor I worked with for 30 minutes was very kind and provided me with several links and resources at the end of our session and welcomed me to text back any if I found myself needing support again.
I also tried the NEDA online chat helpline where I completed a quick optional form involving filling in my name, age, and who I was seeking help for and then I was connected to a Helpline volunteer almost immediately (or under a minute) The counselor was helpful in the sense that there was a balance between listening and offering to help me find resources such as an eating disorder specialist or a support group. However, when I asked the volunteer why she chose to work for the helpline, she told me that she was not allowed to share that information. So unlike the “warmline” experience, I discussed at the beginning of this episode that was more informal and an exchange of experiences, I wanted to note for you all that this hotline is a bit more formal in that sense.
I have two more resources that I’ve provided below in the descriptions which were not a part of my testing and reviewing experiment however, I thought it was crucial that I included them and made a note of them here. The phone number for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services and Administration (SAMHSA): National Helpline is below. This National Helpline provides 24-hour free and confidential referrals and information about mental and/or substance use disorders, prevention, treatment, and recovery in English and Spanish.
This one unfortunately not appear to have a text or online chat version which is why it was not part of my experiment. Also, I included below information for the Veterans Crisis Line. You can either text a message to 838255, call them, or use their live chat on their website which is linked in the description. Operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, these services aid veterans and their families who may be in crisis by connecting them with VA responders. Fortunately, there are deaf and hard of hearing accommodations available for this service as well.
For my much-loved hard of hearing and deaf community, transcripts in English are now available on the new Noggin Podcast website, and for my Latinx community transcripts in español will be coming very soon on the website for you all as well.
If you made it here to the conclusion of this episode, I’d like to say thank you so much. Muchisimas gracias. If you’re interested in learning more information about The Noggin Podcast you can visit our website and subscribe to be a part of our cozy home with new episode releases every other Monday morning. See you in the next episode! Nos vemos en el próximo episodio.