World Suicide Prevention Day
You deserve support today, not when things get worse. This page holds urgent helplines for the United Kingdom and Ghana, gentle ways to check in on someone, and quiet places to begin if reaching out feels difficult.
Urgent help, right now
United Kingdom
- Samaritans116 123, free, day or night
- SHOUTText SHOUT to 85258
- NHS urgent helpCall 111 and select the mental health option
- Emergency servicesCall 999 if there is immediate danger to life
Ghana
- Mental Health Authority0800 678 678
- Mental Health Authority0800 678 679
- Emergency servicesCall 112 if there is immediate danger to life
How to check in on someone
Most people who are struggling are not waiting for advice. They are waiting to be asked. These three steps are ordinary, and they matter.
Ask plainly
Asking someone directly whether they are thinking of ending their life does not plant the idea. It often brings relief. A simple question, asked calmly, is enough.
Stay and listen
You do not need the right words. Listening without rushing to fix, reassure, or minimise is what most people describe as helpful.
Help them take one step
Offer to sit with them while they call a helpline, or to look up local support together. One shared step is easier than a whole plan.
If you are the one struggling
Thoughts of ending your life are more common than most people are ever told, and having them does not mean you are beyond help. They are a sign that something has become too heavy to carry alone, not a sign of weakness or failure.
You do not have to be in crisis to deserve support. Reaching out early, on an ordinary day, is one of the kindest things you can do for yourself. Telling one person is enough to begin with. It can be a friend, a family member, your general practitioner, or a helpline where nobody knows your name.
If tonight feels long, try to make it smaller. Get to the next hour. Stay near someone. Put distance between yourself and anything you could use to harm yourself, and tell one person where you are.
Quiet places to begin
Full signposting page
Urgent, ongoing and self-guided support for the UK and Ghana.
The Worry Jar
For the thoughts that circle at night. Everything stays in your browser.
Psychoeducation
Plain-language explainers on stress, anxiety and low mood.
If this season feels heavier than you would like to carry alone, individualised 1:1 sessions with Abena are open. These are online conversations, nurse-led and non-clinical, with reduced rates available for those based in Africa.
Explore 1:1 sessionsGrowthPlaceWellness offers non-clinical, educational support and individualised 1:1 sessions. We do not provide crisis care, diagnosis or treatment. If you need urgent help, please use the services listed above or contact emergency services.