Our selection of crisis and support lines, suicide awareness training, and books.
Crisis and Support Lines
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (USA)
- Call or text 988
- Online chat at 988lifeline.org
Samaritans (UK and Ireland)
- 08457 90 90 90 (UK)
- 1850 60 90 90 (Republic of Ireland)
- www.samaritans.org
- jo@samaritans.org
Support services for those who cannot use the phone or prefer not to
- Crisis Text Line (USA) offers a free, 24/7 text line for people in crisis.
- Shout (UK) is a free 24/7 UK crisis text service available for times when people feel they need immediate support.
- Dial House (Leeds, UK) offers support in person, by phone, British Sign Language (BSL), text, and FaceTime.
- Safeline (UK) offers support to people in their journey through sexual abuse and rape, by email, phone, live chat, and social media.
Other Resources
- International helplines, suicide hotlines, and crisis lines at Therapy Route.
- Searchable directory of mental health support services (UK) at Hub of Hope.
Suicide Awareness Training
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an educational course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help a person who may be developing a mental health problem. In the same way as we learn physical first aid, mental health first aid teaches you how to recognise those crucial warning signs of mental ill health. Read Martin's experiences of MHFA or check the course details at MHFA England, MHFA United States, or MHFA Canada.
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is one of several programs developed by LivingWorks Education, a public service corporation focusing on understanding and preventing suicide. The ASIST workshop is for caregivers who want to feel more comfortable, confident and competent in helping to prevent the immediate risk of suicide. Read Martin's experiences of ASIST or check the course details at LivingWorks.
Books
Personal Accounts of Illness
- Cardinal, Marie. The Words to Say It: An Autobiographical Novel. Cambridge, MA: VanVactor & Goodheart, 1983.
- Close, Jessie, and Pete Earley. Resilience: Two Sisters and a Story of Mental Illness. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2015.
- Duke, Patty, and Gloria Hochman. A Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic-depressive Illness. New York: Bantam Books, 1992.
- Fader, Sarah, ed. Stigma Fighters Anthology. Vol. 1. Booktrope, 2015.
- Fader, Sarah, ed. Stigma Fighters Anthology. Vol. 2. Booktrope, 2016.
- Jamison, Kay R. An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness. London: Picador, 1996.
- Kelly, Rachel. Black Rainbow: How Words Healed Me: My Journey through Depression. Yellow Kite, 2014.
- Klein, Michelle. The Monster Inside: The Story of an Ordinary Girl in Extraordinary Circumstances. Createspace, 2011.
- Styron, William. Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness. New York: Random House, 1990.
Support and Caregiving
- Fast, Julie A., and John D. Preston. Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder: Understanding and Helping Your Partner. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger, 2004.
- Last, Cynthia G. When Someone You Love Is Bipolar: Help and Support for You and Your Partner. New York: Guilford Press, 2009.
- Otto, Michael W. Living with Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Individuals and Families. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Suicide Awareness
- Jamison, Kay R. Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide. New York: Knopf, 1999.
- Shneidman, Edwin S. The Suicidal Mind. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Interpersonal Techniques
- Evans, Gail. Counselling Skills for Dummies: A Practical Guide to Becoming a Better Communicator and Listener. Chichester: John Wiley, 2007.
- Rosenberg, Marshall B. Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life. Encinitas, CA: PuddleDancer Press, 2003.
Food and Health
- Hanh, Nhat, and Lilian W. Y. Cheung. Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life. New York: HarperOne, 2011.
- Roth, Geneen. Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything. London: Simon & Schuster, 2011.