If you are in crisis tonight
If you are in crisis tonight
If you are thinking of ending your life, or you are sitting with someone who is — call now. It is free, it is answered around the clock, and you do not need to have the right words ready.
14416
Tele-MANAS · free · 24 hours · Marathi, Hindi, English and 17 other languages · Government of India
1800-891-4416
The same service, if 14416 does not connect from your network
112
Emergency services · if someone is already hurt, or in immediate danger.
If you are the one struggling
Stay where there are people. Not because anything is expected of you — just don’t be alone in a room right now.
Tell one person. Anyone. It does not have to be family, and it does not have to be a good explanation. “I’m not okay tonight, can you sit with me?” is enough.
Put distance between yourself and anything you could use to hurt yourself. Hand it to someone else, or leave the place where it is kept. This sounds small. It isn’t. A crisis is usually a matter of hours, and distance buys hours.
Don’t drink. Alcohol will feel like it’s helping for about forty minutes and then it will take away the part of you that is currently arguing for staying alive.
What you are feeling right now is not the permanent shape of your life, even though it is presenting itself that way with enormous confidence. This is what the illness does. It narrows things until the only exit visible is the wrong one. It is lying to you about the number of exits.
You do not have to believe that tonight. You only have to get to morning.
If you are with someone who is in crisis
Ask them directly. “Are you thinking of ending your life?”
Almost every family hesitates here, because of a fear that asking will plant the idea. It will not. The evidence on this is consistent, and it is the opposite of what most people expect — asking plainly tends to bring relief, because the person has usually been carrying it alone and waiting for someone to notice.
Ask it in the words above. Not “you’re not thinking of doing anything stupid, are you” — that is a question with only one permitted answer, and they will give it to you.
Then, mostly, listen.
Don’t leave them alone. Not to make a phone call, not to fetch someone. Take the phone with you into the room.
Quietly reduce what is within reach. You don’t need to search the house or announce what you’re doing. Move what could be used to cause harm somewhere else and keep hold of it yourself. Of everything on this page, this is the step that does the most.
Call 14416, with them if they’ll allow it. You can call on someone else’s behalf. You do not need their permission to ask for advice about how to help them.
What to say, and what to leave unsaid
Things that help:
- “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere tonight.”
- “Tell me how long it’s been like this.”
- “That sounds unbearable.”
- “I don’t fully understand it, but I believe you.”
Things that shut the conversation down, even when they come from love:
- “Think about what this would do to your mother.” — this adds guilt to a person already drowning in it.
- “You have everything. What’s the problem?” — depression is not a response to circumstances and this confirms their suspicion that nobody understands.
- “Just be positive.”
- “Don’t tell anyone about this.” — secrecy is exactly the wrong direction.
- Anger. It’s a normal reaction to fear and it will be read as rejection.
You will not say all the right things. Nobody does. Staying in the room matters more than the sentences.
When to stop talking and get medical help immediately
Call 112, or take them to the nearest emergency department, if:
- They have already harmed themselves, or taken something
- They have a specific plan and the means to carry it out
- They are so confused or agitated that they cannot be kept safe where they are
- They are trying to leave and you believe they are in immediate danger
You do not need to be sure. Emergency departments would far rather see someone who turns out to be safe.
Tomorrow
Tonight is about getting through tonight. But a crisis is a symptom, not the illness, and the underlying thing is nearly always treatable.
Book a psychiatric consultation this week — not next month. If the person is unwilling, that is a common situation with better answers than most families expect.
If you are in Nashik, you can reach us at NIMS Multispecialty Hospital on +91 98540 19455 during working hours. Outside those hours, please use the numbers at the top of this page — they are answered and we are not
Other numbers
Tele-MANAS above is the one to try first: it is free, national, and staffed around the clock in Marathi. These are alternatives if it does not connect.
- Vandrevala Foundation— +91 99996 66555 (call or WhatsApp, 24 hours)
- AASRA— +91 22 2754 6669 (24 hours)
- iCALL, TISS— 022 2552 1111 (Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
- KIRAN— 1800-599-0019
This page is educational. It is not a substitute for emergency medical care or for consultation with a qualified mental health professional. If you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Reviewed by Dr. Muktesh Daund, MBBS, DNB (Psychiatry), Consultant Psychiatrist and De-addiction Specialist, Nashik. Last reviewed: 13 Aug 2026. Helpline numbers on this page are verified every three months.