Psychological consultation hotline 24-hour toll-free hotline number

• Hope 24-hour life crisis intervention hotline: 400-161-9995
• National Health Commission psychological assistance hotline: 962525 (most provinces and cities across the country have opened it, there is no extra charge for calling)
• 12355 Youth Service Desk: You can call the psychological and rights issues of people under the age of 18. The operators have received special training in youth psychological services.

Have you ever had that moment? At three o'clock in the morning, I stared at the ceiling with my eyes open, my chest felt like a piece of water-soaked cotton wool. I looked through hundreds of contacts in my address book and didn't know who to call. I told my parents that I was worried that they would be anxious in the middle of the night, and I told my friends that they would think that I was making a fuss out of a molehill. All the content I read was "Adults need to learn to be emotionally stable", as if it was your fault for not being mature enough to shed a single tear.

When I was doing psychological science popularization in the community, I met a little girl who had just worked for half a year. She said that she worked overtime for a month last winter. The last straw was that her electric car was stolen when she got off work. She squatted on the roadside and cried for half an hour. Her first reaction was not to call the police, but to search for "can anyone listen to me?", and finally dialed the 400 number for the wiring. The eldest sister chatted with her for forty minutes, and finally said, "My girl is the same age as you, and she also lives in other places. Last time she cried to me and told me that she had eaten instant noodles for half a month, and I felt so distressed. If you haven't eaten, go to the convenience store next door to buy a hot bun. Don't freeze it when it's so cold." She told me that it was the first time in that period that she felt that her grievances were taken seriously by someone.

Many people will struggle before getting the treatment: "I don't have any serious illness, but I've been a little annoyed recently. Is this a waste of public resources?" ”I have talked with several hotline supervisors, and they said that the most common thing they tell volunteers is: there are no "unworthy calls." Whether your hands are shaking with anxiety before checking your scores for the postgraduate entrance examination, or you feel your chest is congested just after an argument with your partner, or even if your takeout was spilled today and your cat broke your favorite cup, a series of small things suddenly collapsed when they were put together, you can all hit it. You really don’t have to wait until you “can’t hold it anymore” before asking for help. It’s better to resolve things like emotions early rather than turning them into big problems.

Oh, by the way, you don’t have to worry about privacy issues at all. All hotlines are anonymous. You don’t have to report your name, work unit, or address. You don’t have to say what you want. The system will not save your caller number, and the content of the call will be kept confidential. Even if you say something outrageous, as long as there is no risk of harming yourself or others, it will not be leaked.

Of course, I have to be honest. The qualifications of hotline operators today are indeed uneven. I have also heard many people complain that the operators they met only said "you have to be more open" and "don't be so negative". When this happens, you can just hang up and call again. There is no need to feel embarrassed at all. After all, among the operators there are counselors who have been clinical for more than ten years, and there are also novices who have just passed the certification and are gaining experience. Everyone has a different school: some are cognitive behavioral oriented, and will be used to helping you sort out your problems and give specific suggestions. ； Some are people-oriented, focusing on listening and accompanying you, and will not take the initiative to give you advice. If you have a clear need, you can just say "I'm a little panicked now, can you give me some specific solutions", or "I don't want to listen to general principles, just listen to me cry", whatever makes you feel comfortable.

If you have more specific needs, such as a postpartum mother who feels emotionally wrong, or a sexual minority group who has encountered discrimination, or someone who has suicidal tendencies and needs more targeted intervention, you can also call the general hotline above. The operator will have a directory of special resources from various places on hand, and will help you transfer to a more suitable hotline or agency.

However, it should also be mentioned that the psychological assistance hotline is essentially immediate emotional support and crisis intervention, not formal psychological consultation. If you can't sleep well or eat well for more than two weeks in a row, have no interest in the things you used to like, or even feel that life is meaningless, don't just call the hotline, you must go to the local mental health center or the clinical psychology department of a regular hospital for evaluation and consultation. Professional intervention is more effective than anything else.

In fact, the purpose of these numbers is never to be a "life-saving medicine", but to give you a safe choice. If one day you really feel that you can't walk anymore, don't hold on, dial out and try. There will always be someone on the other end, willing to wait for you to speak.

Oh yes, one last thing to add, if you can’t get through by dialing 962525 where you are, just call 400-161-9995. This covers the whole country, and someone will answer the call anytime.