In immediate danger? Call 999. Thinking about suicide right now? Samaritans - 116 123, free, 24/7.
Call Samaritans116 123 Text SHOUT85258 In danger right now? Call 999

A signposting site for mental health - not a replacement for it.

It's ok to be Not Okay

We point you to the right support, fast. Real helplines, real services and real people, without the jargon or the wait.

Why this exists: one text from a mate. Read the founder's story

What do you need right now?

Get help now

Free, confidential UK services. Filter by what fits how urgent this feels.

Numbers and hours checked 2 October 2026. Next check due by 31 December 2026. Spotted a wrong number? Tell us
Where in the UK are you?
Emergency

Life in danger right now

999
24/7, or go to A&E
Struggling to cope, any time

Samaritans

116 123
Free, 24/7, every day of the year

For anyone struggling to cope. You don't need to be suicidal to call.

Prefer to text

Shout

Text SHOUT to 85258
Free, confidential, 24/7

A trained volunteer texts back. No calls, no talking out loud.

Suicidal thoughts, or worried about someone

CALM

0800 58 58 58
5pm to midnight, every day

Campaign Against Living Miserably. For anyone over 18 affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts. Phone, webchat or WhatsApp.

Under 35

Papyrus HopeLine 24/7

0300 102 2470Text HOPE to 88247
24/7, every day

For young people with thoughts of suicide, or anyone worried about one.

Under 19

Childline

0800 1111
Free, 24/7

For children and young people, about anything. On O2 and can't connect? Dial 116 111. Chat online at childline.org.uk.

Urgent, not an emergency

NHS 111, option 2

111
24/7 in England and Wales

Puts you through to your local NHS mental health crisis team.

Wales, any time

C.A.L.L. Helpline (Wales)

0800 132 737
Free, 24/7

Community Advice and Listening Line: emotional support for anyone in Wales. Text HELP and your question to 81066 for information about local services.

Scotland, evenings and weekends

Breathing Space (Scotland)

0800 83 85 87
Monday to Thursday 6pm to 2am; Friday 6pm to Monday 6am

Free and confidential for anyone in Scotland over 16 feeling low, depressed or anxious. Textphone: 18001 0800 83 85 87.

Scotland, urgent, not an emergency

NHS 24

111
24/7 in Scotland

For urgent mental health help when it can't wait for your GP.

Northern Ireland, any time

Lifeline (Northern Ireland)

0808 808 8000
Free, 24/7

Northern Ireland's crisis helpline, for anyone in distress or despair, and the people worried about them. Textphone: 18001 0808 808 8000.

Suicide prevention app

Stay Alive app

prevent-suicide.org.uk
Free, on Apple, Google Play or the web

From Grassroots Suicide Prevention. Includes a safety plan, reasons for living and ways to stay safe now.

LGBTQ+

Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline

0800 0119 100
10am to 10pm, every day

Run by LGBTQ+ volunteers, for anyone who wants to talk about sexuality, gender identity or how they're feeling. Webchat too.

Veterans and families

Combat Stress

0800 138 1619
Free, 24/7

Mental health support for veterans and their families. Serving personnel and families: 0800 323 4444.

Veterans, NHS (England)

Op COURAGE

Find your local team on nhs.uk
England

The NHS veterans' mental health and wellbeing service, for veterans, reservists, service leavers and families. You can contact it yourself, even if you left many years ago.

Domestic abuse, any time

National Domestic Abuse Helpline (Refuge)

0808 2000 247
Free, 24/7

Confidential support for women experiencing domestic abuse. Live chat at nationaldahelpline.org.uk.

Domestic abuse, for men

Men's Advice Line

0808 8010327
Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm

For men experiencing domestic abuse, and the people supporting them, including trans and non-binary people. Webchat weekdays 9am to 10am.

Domestic abuse, for men

ManKind Initiative

0808 800 117001823 334 244
Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm (not bank holidays)

Confidential helpline for male victims of domestic abuse, and their friends, family and employers. The 0808 number is free.

Sexual violence or abuse, any time

Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Line

0808 500 2222
Free, 24/7

Run by Rape Crisis England & Wales, for anyone aged 16 or over, of any gender, whenever it happened.

Pregnancy and new parents

PANDAS Foundation

0808 1961 776
Free, 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday

Support with low mood and anxiety during pregnancy and after birth, for parents and the people around them.

Domestic abuse, finding local help

Women's Aid

womensaid.org.uk
Live chat and directory

The Survivor's Handbook and a directory of local domestic abuse services.

Under 25

The Mix

Text THEMIX to 85258themix.org.uk
Text support 24/7

Free support for under 25s: one-to-one PeerChat with trained peer supporters, group chats and free counselling.

Worried about your child

YoungMinds Parents Helpline

0808 802 5544
Weekdays from 9.30am, until 6pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 4pm on other days

For parents and carers worried about the mental health of a child or young person up to 25.

University students

Nightline

Ask your students' union
Evenings in term time

Many universities have a student-run Nightline: anonymous listening, at night, from fellow students.

Faith and culturally sensitive

Muslim Youth Helpline

0808 808 2008
Free. Times on their website

Confidential support aimed at young Muslims, but no one is turned away. Phone, live chat or email.

Black-led mental health support

Black Minds Matter UK

blackmindsmatteruk.com
Online

Connects Black people with qualified Black therapists. Check their website for whether free therapy referrals are open.

Older people

Age UK Advice Line

0800 678 1602
8am to 7pm, every day of the year

Free advice for older people and the people who care about them, including finding local support.

Older people, any time

The Silver Line

0800 4 70 80 90
Free, 24/7

Run by Age UK. Someone to talk to, day or night, if you're feeling lonely.

Construction workers and families

Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity

lighthouseclub.org
24/7 helpline and text support

Emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support for the construction community. Numbers on their website.

Farmers and farming families

Farming Community Network

03000 111 999
7am to 11pm, every day of the year

Confidential support from volunteers who understand farming, for personal or business worries. Email help@fcn.org.uk.

Workplaces: construction and beyond

Mates in Mind

matesinmind.org
For employers

Guidance and training to help employers improve mental health at work.

Police, fire, ambulance, search and rescue

Mind: emergency responders

mind.org.uk/ourbluelight
Information online

Mind's information and links for people working or volunteering in the emergency services.

Drinking

Alcoholics Anonymous

0800 9177 650
Free

Answered by AA members who can put you in touch with local and online meetings. Email help@aamail.org.

Drugs

Narcotics Anonymous

0300 999 1212
10am to midnight

Recovering addicts helping each other stay clean. Face-to-face and online meetings across the UK.

Someone else's drinking

Al-Anon

0800 0086 811
10am to 10pm, every day

For anyone affected by someone else's drinking, whether they're still drinking or not.

Self-harm

Sift (formerly Self Injury Support)

sift.org.uk
Evening helpline, text and email

Non-judgemental support for anyone of any age or gender affected by self-harm. Opening times on their website.

Anxiety, panic and phobias

Anxiety UK

anxietyuk.org.uk
Helpline on weekdays

Information, support and therapy for anxiety, stress and anxiety-based depression.

OCD

OCD Action

ocdaction.org.uk
Helpline on weekdays

Support and information for people with OCD and the people around them.

Panic attacks, phobias, OCD

No Panic

nopanic.org.uk
See website

Support for people living with panic attacks, phobias, OCD and other anxiety disorders.

Information and next steps

Mind Infoline

0300 123 3393
9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday

Not a crisis line. Helps you find local services, treatment options and advocacy.

Ongoing, non-urgent (England)

NHS Talking Therapies

Refer yourself at nhs.uk/talk
No GP referral needed in England

Free NHS therapy for anxiety, depression and stress. Prefer your GP? They can refer you too. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, ask your GP or check your local health board's website.

Local, face-to-face support

Hub of Hope

hubofhope.co.uk
Search by postcode

A national directory of mental health support, so you find services near you, not just a phone number.

Nothing matches that filter. Choose All to see every service.

Deaf, hard of hearing, or can't speak right now?

Text 999 in an emergency - but only after registering your mobile. Text the word register to 999 and follow the replies. Do it now, before you ever need it.

With the Relay UK app, dial 18000 for 999, or 18001 111 for NHS 111. Shout (text SHOUT to 85258) is text-only, any time.

What's actually going on?

It rarely shows up with a label. Open whichever one sounds like your week.

Drink or drugs taking over

You don't need it figured out before you call. Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 covers alcohol. FRANK on 0300 123 6600 covers drugs, 24/7, for you or someone you're worried about.

Recovery groups are free and run by people who've been there: Alcoholics Anonymous on 0800 9177 650, Narcotics Anonymous on 0300 999 1212 (10am to midnight), and for anyone affected by someone else's drinking, Al-Anon on 0800 0086 811 (10am to 10pm).

Grief and loss

Grief doesn't run to a timetable, and needing support months or years later is normal. Cruse Bereavement Support on 0808 808 1677 will listen, and can offer ongoing support if you need it.

Lost someone to suicide

Losing someone this way brings its own kind of grief, and you don't have to carry it alone. Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide on 0300 111 5065 is run by people who've been through it, for adults 18 and over. Opening hours are on uksobs.org. Samaritans (116 123) are there any time.

Eating feels out of control

Worrying about food, weight or eating, for yourself or someone else, is reason enough to call. Beat has a free helpline for each nation: England 0808 801 0677, Scotland 0808 801 0432, Wales 0808 801 0433, Northern Ireland 0808 801 0434. Opening hours are on beateatingdisorders.org.uk.

Gambling

Whether it's your gambling or someone else's, the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 is free, confidential and open 24/7 across England, Scotland and Wales. Live chat on gamcare.org.uk too.

Work is grinding you down

Start with your employer's Employee Assistance Programme if there is one. It's confidential and separate from HR. Otherwise the Mind Infoline on 0300 123 3393 can point you to support, and your GP can refer you for talking therapy if it's tipping into something bigger.

Some industries have their own support: construction, the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity (24/7) and Mates in Mind; farming, the Farming Community Network on 03000 111 999 (7am to 11pm); emergency services, Mind's information for emergency responders.

Relationship breakdown or separation

Splits get harder when they're contested or when time with the kids is involved. If it's affecting your safety, the Men's Advice Line on 0808 801 0327 and the ManKind Initiative on 0808 800 1170 (free) support men experiencing abuse from a partner or ex.

Money worries

Debt and mental health feed each other, and ignoring it doesn't shrink it. StepChange on 0800 138 1111 gives free, confidential debt advice, with no judgement.

Anger you can't switch off

Constant irritability is often a symptom, not a personality trait. Exhaustion, stress and low mood can all come out as anger first. Start with your GP or the Mind Infoline on 0300 123 3393 to find talking therapy or anger support near you.

For managers and colleagues

If someone on your team seems off, you don't need a qualification. You need to notice, and ask.

Notice the change, not the diagnosis

You're not there to work out what's wrong. Just notice they seem different, and say so.

Ask somewhere private

A quiet "how are you, really?" away from the desk does more than any wellbeing poster.

Know your EAP

Many UK employers have an Employee Assistance Programme with free, confidential counselling. Find the number before you need it.

Don't try to fix it

You're not their therapist. Listening, and pointing them to the numbers above, is the job.

Follow up

One conversation rarely fixes anything. A second check-in a week later is often the one that lands.

Industry support: construction has the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity and Mates in Mind; farming has the Farming Community Network; emergency services have Mind's emergency responder information.

A minute to reset

Not a fix. Just something to do with the next sixty seconds.

Ready

In for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4. Keep going as long as it helps.

One honest question

What's the one thing making today heavier than it needs to be?

Make a safety plan

Fill this in on a calm day, so it's ready on a bad one. If you save it, it stays in this browser on this device. Nothing is sent anywhere. On a shared device, print it instead. Prefer an app? The free Stay Alive app has a safety plan you can keep on your phone.

If none of this is enough: Samaritans 116 123 (24/7). Shout: text SHOUT to 85258. In danger right now: 999.

Talk to someone, not a screen

Sometimes what helps most is a room full of people who get it.

Andy's Man Club

Free peer support groups for men aged 18 and over. No referral needed.

  • Every Monday at 7pm (except bank holidays), at venues across the UK. You can just turn up.
  • A national online group runs at the same time for men without a club nearby. The website explains how to join.
  • Non-clinical and confidential. Nobody has to speak. You can just listen.
Find a club at andysmanclub.co.uk

Other ways to talk

  • Mind's Side by Side: an online peer support community for over-18s, open 24/7.
  • NHS Talking Therapies: in England you can refer yourself without seeing a GP, or ask your GP to refer you. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, start with your GP or your local health board.
  • BACP Register: find a private, accredited counsellor near you.

Not sure what you're feeling?

You don't need the right words, or a diagnosis, to reach out. These are common signs it's worth talking to someone.

Withdrawing

Pulling away from people, cancelling plans, going quiet on messages you'd normally answer.

Running on empty

Exhausted however much you sleep, or sleeping far more or less than usual.

Short fuse

Irritable or on edge over small things that wouldn't normally bother you.

Numbing out

Drinking more, working more, scrolling more. Anything to not think about it.

Losing interest

The things you usually enjoy start to feel flat or pointless.

Dark thoughts

Thinking the people around you would be better off without you. That's a reason to call someone today, not a reason to wait. Samaritans on 116 123, free, any time.

Worried about someone else?

You don't need to fix it. You need to open the door.

1

Ask directly

"Are you thinking about suicide?" doesn't put the idea in their head. It shows you're willing to hear the real answer.

2

Listen without fixing

Let them talk without jumping to solutions or telling them how to feel. Being heard is the point.

3

Stay, or make sure someone can

If they're in immediate danger, don't leave them alone. Call 999 or take them to A&E.

4

Point them here

Help them make one call while you're still with them. It's easier to start with someone beside you.

If you're the partner, parent or friend carrying this alone: the Mind Infoline (0300 123 3393) supports people caring for someone else. In England, Rethink Mental Illness's advice line (0808 801 0525, 9.30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday) does too.

Send a "Pub?"

One tap opens your messages with the text ready. You choose who it goes to. Nothing is sent to us.

Pub? You alright, mate? Fancy a brew this week? How are you doing, really?

Set a reminder to check in

A "Pub?" text is easy to forget. Set a reminder now and it won't be. This makes a calendar file on your device. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Share Not Okay

The more people who know where help is, the sooner someone gets it.

Run a support service?

This email isn't a crisis service. It's for organisations wanting to be listed, and it isn't checked round the clock. If you need help now, call Samaritans on 116 123 or text SHOUT to 85258. In danger right now: call 999.

If you're a charity, helpline or peer group we've missed, we want to hear from you. Send your organisation's name, phone number or website, opening hours, and who you support, and we'll review it for the site.

Email hello@notokay.co.uk

Why this exists

A few years ago I was a prison officer. I lost more colleagues and friends to suicide than anyone should have to. Then it came for me too - a split from my ex-wife, a lonely Christmas working a 13-hour shift rather than sit at home, and a plan I'd already settled on for what came after.

What changed it was one word from a mate:

"Pub?"

He told me straight, before I'd had a sip, that he knew I wasn't okay. We spent the day laughing and drinking, and as I left he said he'd call tomorrow and I'd better answer. He never knew how close I'd been, or what that one text did. To him it was nothing. To me it was everything.

Over a decade on, I've watched my kids grow up and built a career I wouldn't have had otherwise, because someone took thirty seconds to check in. That's the only reason this site exists: so that finding help, checking in, or being checked on, is one click away instead of a Google search.

MarkFounder, Not Okay