Urgent Help and Support

If you or someone you know needs urgent help, you can contact any of the services listed below. There are also details below for specialist organisations who may be able to help you with a specific issue.

For Immediate or Urgent Help

  • Emergency Services: if you need immediate assistance, and especially if someone is hurt or in danger, please call the emergency services immediately. Contact the emergency services at any time by dialling 999 or 112 in the Republic of Ireland, or 112 in Europe.
     
  • GP: find a local doctor (GP) or health centre by visiting the HSE.ie online service finder. If it's late in the evening, night-time or the weekend, you can contact a GP out-of-hours service. The HSE has listed urgent professional supports here.
     
  • Samaritans: Samaritans provides confidential non-judgemental emotional support, 24 hours a day. for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which could lead to suicide. They offer their service by telephone, email, letter and face to face in most of their branches.

  • Pieta House: Pieta House is a focused, counselling service which people can easily access. Working with clients, they help identify reasons to live.

    spunout.ie: spunout text message support service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They provide in-the-moment anonymous support and problem-solving when you need it most. Text SPUNOUT to 086 1800 280 to begin.
     

  • Crisis Text Line this is a free 24 x 7 text service, providing everything from a calming chat to immediate support for people going through a mental health or emotional crisis - big or small. Text 50808 to start. 

Other organisations that offer general and specialised ongoing support include:

  • Aware: Aware is a national voluntary organisation providing support for people experiencing depression. Services include support groups nationwide, a LoCall Helpline open 365 days a year, and email support services. All services are available to people experiencing depression and to concerned family members and friends.
    • Helpline: 1800 80 48 48.
    • Email Support: supportmail@aware.ie
       
  • Bodywhys: Bodywhys is the national organisation dedicated to offering support, information and understanding to people affected by eating disorders including family and carers. The helpline offers a non-judgemental and confidential support and information service. Bodywhys also offers support groups, an online support group and email support.
  • Childline: Childline is a 24-hour service for children and young people up to 18 years of age. Childline is open 365 days a year. It offers support to every young person living in Ireland through the Childline telephone listening service.
    • Helpline: 1800 666 666 Text: 50101
       
  • GROW GROW is a mental health organisation which helps people who have suffered, or are suffering, from mental health problems. Members are helped to recover from all forms of breakdown, or indeed, to prevent such breakdowns happening. GROW’s main strength is the support that members give each other from their own experience in matters to do with mental health.

 

  • Shine: Shine is a national organisation dedicated to upholding the rights and addressing the needs of all those affected by enduring mental illness including; schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder and bi-polar disorder.

 

  • Teenline IrelandTeenline Ireland is a national helpline for teenagers feeling fed-up, alone, distressed or worried, or who just want to talk. Teenline provides a listening and support service, and information about other support services in your local area.
  • BeLonG To BeLonG To Youth Services is the national organisation supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI+) young people in Ireland.
  • Pavee Point Pavee Point’s mission is to contribute to improvement in the quality of life, living circumstances, status and participation of Travellers and Roma through working innovatively for social justice, greater solidarity, development, equality and human rights.
  • Cairde: Cairde is a community development organisation working to tackle health inequalities among ethnic minority communities by improving ethnic minority access to health services, and participation in health planning and delivery.
  • SpirasiSpirasi (Spiritan Asylum Services Initiative) is the national centre for the rehabilitation of victims of torture in Ireland.
  • Peer Advocacy in Mental Health: Peer Advocacy in Mental Health is an island-wide, independent, mental health organisation led by people with personal experience of mental health challenges.
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