If you're thinking about suicide or can't keep yourself safe
Call 999 or go to A&E now if your life is at risk, you've taken an overdose or seriously hurt yourself, or you don't feel able to keep yourself safe.
If you need urgent mental-health help, use the route for your UK nation. These services are for you too. You don't need to wait until someone has taken over caring before asking for urgent help for yourself.
For someone to listen, call Samaritans: 116 123. If you can, tell a trusted person what's happening and ask them to stay with you while you get help.[1]
If you cannot provide essential care right now
If you are too unwell or exhausted to provide essential support and there is no cover, contact adult social care or social work, or the Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland. If it is outside office hours, use its emergency duty service. Say what essential care is unavailable now and whether anyone is at risk. Tell the relevant care team too.
Who to contact and what to say when care cannot continue today. A listening service can support you, but cannot arrange replacement care. For an urgent health problem, use urgent help; call 999 if someone's life is in danger.[2]
If you need a person to listen
- Samaritans offers confidential listening. Free to call. 24 hours, every day. You do not have to be suicidal to call.
- SANEline: emotional support and information for people aged 16 or over affected by mental illness, including family and friends. Usually 4pm to 10pm, every day. Calls may be charged.[3]
Words you can use with someone you trust
Mind recommends sharing how you feel, being realistic about what you can do and sharing the caring role where possible.[4]
If the immediate pressure is the person you support
If you are worried that they may harm themselves or someone else, or their condition has deteriorated quickly, use the urgent guide. It separates immediate emergencies from urgent mental-health help and gives the correct route for each UK nation.[5]
Open urgent helpTomorrow, ask for help with what is missing
Carers UK: 0808 808 7777. Information and signposting about caring, benefits, assessments, work and services. Free to call. Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, including bank holidays. Detailed advice is usually by email; check the provider’s page. This is not a crisis or emotional-support line. Carers UK service details. A local carers service may also offer one-to-one support, counselling or help arranging a break.
If nobody can take over, use the step-by-step request for a care assessment or review. It explains how to record the gap and follow up.
Sources and how this guide was written
If you're thinking about suicide or can't keep yourself safe
NHS: urgent mental-health help and when to call 999.If essential care cannot be covered tonight
Carers UK: getting help in an emergency.If you need a person to listen
Samaritans phone service and SANEline service information.Words you can use with someone you trust
Mind: support yourself while caring for someone else.If the immediate pressure is the person you support
NHS urgent mental-health guidance. Routes differ across the UK; use the nation-specific urgent page.Tomorrow, ask for help with what is missing
Carers UK helpline and Carers Trust local service finder.
Last full source check: 27 August 2026
Later checks: Opening urgent-help signposting checked: 27 September 2026. Care-gap guidance checked: 1 October 2026. Carers UK contact details checked: 7 October 2026. SANEline contact details, hours and eligibility checked: 8 October 2026.
Find more listening and practical advice contacts.
Independent information, not a medical or crisis service. This guidance has not been clinically reviewed. How we use sources.
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