Our team at SoCal Empowered has been helping people deal with serious mental health challenges for years. We understand the nature of this aggressive and relentless foe, and we have helped countless people get their lives back under control. However, there are times when a situation rises to the level of a crisis, and during those times it may be of help to contact a mental health helpline to simply restore some calm and order before moving on to the next step towards healing.
We discussed the new 988 suicide prevention helpline that went into effect earlier this year. We’re hopeful that this service does a world of good for those who need help. In addition, though, there are other mental health helpline options out there for people who may need them. We’d like to provide some information on a few of them in hopes that someone may see it and make the phone call that makes all the difference before coming to stay with us if necessary.
A Mental Health Helpline Makes a Big Difference
Why are we providing information for people to find the best mental health helpline for their needs? We’re doing so because they make a big difference. The new 988 suicide helpline has only been operational since July of this year, and according to statistics, the call volume increase once it went live was nothing short of staggering.
According to Vibrant Health, the number of calls to the 988 suicide helpline increased in its first week online from 66,000 to the old phone number to more than 96,000 to 988. That represents an immediate increase of approximately 45 percent in volume from one week to the next. It also represents an increase of approximately 66 percent in call volume compared to the same week in 2021.
What does this mean? Knowledge of a mental health helpline is the first step towards helping more people get the assistance they need. It also means that everyone, including us in our work as an Orange County mental health provider, needs to do whatever possible to get as much information regarding this and any other mental health helpline out there to as many people as we can reach.
A Mental Health Helpline List – 5 Resources
While the 988 suicide prevention number is the mental health helpline that has gotten the most attention recently – and with encouraging results – it’s hardly the only one out there that’s ready to help people who are facing different challenges. Below are five examples of resources that people who need a mental health helpline can take advantage of if they or someone they love is suffering and needs immediate help.
- ADHD Help: Call CHADD, or Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, at 866-200-8098. According to the National Institutes of Health, the prevalence of Adult ADHD ranges between 3.8 and 4.6 percent in adults in the United States between the ages of 18 and 44.
- Eating Disorders: Call or text NEDA, or the National Eating Disorders Association, at 800-931-2237. According to ANAD, or the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, which also has a helpline at 888-375-7767, nearly 10 percent of people in the United States will suffer from an eating disorder during their lifetime.
- General Mental Health: Call NAMI, or the National Alliance on Mental Illness, at 800-950-6264 or text NAMI to 741-741.
- Self-harm: Call S.A.F.E., or Self-Abuse Finally Ends, at 800-DONT CUT (800-366-8288). Statistics vary with regards to self-harm, as it is one of the most under-reported problems within the realm of mental health, particularly among adults.
- For Veterans: Call the Veterans Crisis Line, also at 988, and then press 1. You can also text help at 838255. Those in need can also chat online by clicking this link.
Handle the Crisis First
Obviously, these mental health helpline resources exist for a reason. The reason is that in some situations, people feel completely stuck and unable to do anything to help themselves or a loved one. In addition, the experience of just talking to someone can make an enormous difference in how a person processes a situation and thereby proceeds. Every mental health helpline in existence does heroic things on a daily basis, as lives are improved and in many cases outright saved.
In the worst of situations, every second matters. Most mental health helpline resources are not there to provide a person with counseling or treatment, but instead are there to calm the situation and convince the person who needs help to go and obtain it. That’s exactly what someone in this terribly difficult situation should do: Get the immediate help they need and then take the important steps towards dealing with these mental health diseases.
How SoCal Empowered Can Help
Our team of Orange County mental health professionals is here to provide whatever assistance we can to anyone, regardless of where they are calling from. However, we are an inpatient mental health treatment center, not a crisis center, so if you find yourself or a loved one in dire straits where serious harm could be imminent, we encourage you to call a mental health helpline for help first. From there, we’d be happy to work with you regarding your potential treatment needs.
When that step is in front of you, we will work directly with your insurance company to make sure that your coverage and benefits are clearly defined before you make any commitments to us. Above all else, we want you and your family to be safe in the face of serious mental health challenges and episodes, so please don’t hesitate to do something if you know things are devolving into a crisis. We hope that everyone who needs mental health help gets it, so contact us to learn more about our treatment options.
