What if I just need to talk?

Written By Melinda Claypool

A warm line can provide the opportunity to get your thoughts out of your head and into the open. Sometimes we just need to talk to someone, but who can you call? Professional staff are great, but they aren’t on call 24/7, so what to do in the other 23.5 hours in the day when you need to talk and your best friend is out of town and you family is on vacation?

https://www.warmline.org/ offers a search tool to find a warm line that serves your area

Warmlines (also known as peer support warmlines or peer-operated behavioral health warmlines) are phone, chat, or text lines that provide empathetic listening and peer support to individuals who may be experiencing distress or loneliness, or those seeking validation from a peer with lived experience who identifies with their concerns and can offer a confidential and non-judgmental space for connection and self-directed exploration of possible solutions and alternatives.

According to the APA (https://www.psychiatry.org/) :

A warm line is a confidential, free phone service offering mental health support. Unlike a crisis line or hotline, they are not intended for emergency situations.

Warm lines are typically staffed by volunteer or paid peers—people with personal experience with mental health disorders.

According to MHA (https://screening.mhanational.org/):

Warmlines are free and confidential. They’re different from crisis lines or hotlines like the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which are more focused on keeping you safe in the moment and getting you connected to crisis resources as quickly as possible.

According to NAMI (https://www.nami.org/ ):

Unlike a hotline for those in immediate crisis, warmlines provide early intervention with emotional support that can prevent a crisis – and a more costly 911 call or ER visit.

Melinda Claypool
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