The Samaritans are a non-religious charity that have been offering emotional support to the suicidal and despairing for over 40 years by phone, visit and letter. Callers are guaranteed absolute confidentiality and retain the right to make their own decisions including the decision to end their life. The service is available via E-mail, run from Cheltenham, England, and can be reached from anywhere with Internet access. Trained volunteers read and reply to mail once a day, every day of the year.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. If you need help, please dial:

You will be routed to the closest possible crisis center in your area. With over 120 crisis centers across the country, our mission is to provide immediate assistance to anyone seeking mental health services. Call for yourself, or someone you care about. Your call is free and confidential.

A number of online self-help groups exist under the alt.support heirarchy addressing various problems that can contribute to people feeling suicidal, and providing information about other resources. alt.support.depression in particular contains a detailed and excellent Frequently Asked Questions posting covering many facets of depression. Please note that not all sites carry alt groups. The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about suicide is also available as the Suicide FAQ. You might also want to view a few newer depression newsgroups recently created, including soc.support.depression.crisis and soc.support.depression.misc.

Last reviewed:
  On 11 Apr 2008
  By John M. Grohol, Psy.D.