Help, once

If you need a person, start here.

This is the same set of lines as "Help, once" in Running with Llamas. The chapters point there. They do not print the lines again. The book is general education. It is not care.

Talk with a doctor, a psychologist, or a counselor if low mood, anxiety, or a loss of interest lasts more than about two weeks or crowds out work, relationships, or ordinary tasks. If the symptoms are severe or getting worse, do not wait out those two weeks. Do the same if sleep has been badly broken on most nights for about three months or more, if alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, or screens have become the way you cope and you cannot cut back, if you have chest pain, breathlessness, fainting, or a sudden change in weight, or if a past trauma is still running the day.

If you might hurt yourself, or you are worried about someone else, contact help now. You do not have to be the person in crisis to ask. "I don't know what to say, and I need a person" is enough to start. A general chatbot is not one of these lines, and it is not a therapist.

Emergency numbers

Use local emergency services when a life is in danger. Official pages confirm these numbers:

• United States: 911. FCC, "911 and E911 Services."
• Canada: 9-1-1. The same FCC page calls 911 the official emergency number in the United States and Canada. Government of Canada: if you are in immediate danger or need urgent medical support, call 9-1-1.
• European Union: 112. European Commission, "112."
• United Kingdom: 999 if a crime is in progress or someone is in immediate danger. GOV.UK, "Contact the Police."
• Australia: 000. Lifeline Australia says to call Triple Zero (000) if life is in danger.
• Switzerland: 112 and 144. 112 connects with the police emergency control centre. 144 is the ambulance. Swiss Confederation, "Emergencies and danger." BAKOM says 112 and 144 are free of charge.

Crisis lines

• A directory of local lines: findahelpline.com.
• United States: call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. SAMHSA says to text, call, or chat 988 for 24/7 support. Page last updated 26 September 2025, read 10 November 2026.
• Canada: call or text 9-8-8. 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline.
• United Kingdom and Ireland: Samaritans, 116 123, free, at any time. Samaritans, "Contact Us."
• Australia: Lifeline, 13 11 14. lifeline.org.au.
• Germany: TelefonSeelsorge, 0800 1110111, 0800 1110222, or 116 123. telefonseelsorge.de.
• Switzerland: call 143, Die Dargebotene Hand, at 143.ch. The English-language line is 0800 143 000, from 6 to 11 p.m. 143.ch/en. For children and young people, 147. 147.ch.
• International Association for Suicide Prevention: the crisis page tells you to use local emergency services and a local line. It is not itself a phone number.

The book's Help, once page does not list a New Zealand number. If you are there, use the directory or local emergency services. Do not treat a missing line on this page as a reason to wait.

These lines are for listening and for getting you to a person. They are not a diagnosis. If a number fails, use the directory or local emergency services. Numbers change. This page was checked on 10 November 2026, the same day as the book's notes.