What is the 988 line and when do I use it?

988 is the US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: free, confidential emotional support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by call, text, or chat at 988lifeline.org - run through a national network of over 200 local crisis centers, per the Lifeline itself. When to use it: any emotional crisis. The name undersells the scope - it is for suicidal thinking, yes, but also overwhelming anxiety, panic that will not stop, a breaking point with substances, grief that feels unsurvivable, or simply not knowing where else to turn tonight. You can also call on behalf of someone you are worried about - the counselors coach friends and family through what to say and do next. What it is not: an ambulance service (imminent danger still means 911), and not a judgment line - the Lifeline describes its care as judgment-free. You do not need to be "bad enough" to call; the bar for calling is that you are struggling and want a human. Outside the US, your local crisis line plays the same role. Pymander, a free AI doctor available 24/7 by text, is here for the non-crisis stretch too.