If you are hurting right now

Reach the help.
Ask for it out loud.

It is not easy to admit you need help. Call or text 988 anyway. It is free, it is confidential, and it is open 24/7.

Call988Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24/7 Text988If talking is too much right now Chat online988lifeline.orgChat, text and calls in English and Spanish In danger right now911Or go to the nearest emergency room
Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741 Veterans: dial 988, then press 1, or text 838255
From me

I have called it myself.

Depression lied to my mom. It told her my world would be better off without her. She was wrong about that.

I have attempted suicide three times. I have called the lifeline several times in my life, and I am glad it was there. I am still here. I got air in my lungs, and I got a story to tell.

People who ask for help should be commended. It takes courage, and you do not only do it for yourself. You do it for your family, for everyone who counts on you.

I am proof that you ask for the help and you keep going.

Khary
Where to turn

Real places.
Real people.

Every one of these is free or low cost. I checked every number against the organization's own site.

Talk to someone today

For a crisis, or for a bad night that might become one.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Call, text or chat, 24/7. Free and confidential. Spanish is available.

Call 988Text 988988lifeline.org

Crisis Text Line

Text with a trained crisis counselor, 24/7.

Text HOME to 741741crisistextline.org

Veterans Crisis Line

For veterans, service members and their families. You do not need to be enrolled in VA care.

Dial 988, then press 1Text 838255Chat online

The Trevor Project

Crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people, 24/7.

Call 1-866-488-7386Text START to 678-678thetrevorproject.org
Help that lasts

Finding a therapist, support for depression, and help with drinking or drugs. My mom struggled with alcoholism, and nobody helped her with it.

NAMI HelpLine

Peer support and referrals for people with a mental health condition and their families. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern.

Call 800-950-6264Text NAMI to 62640

SAMHSA National Helpline

Treatment referrals for mental health and substance use, 24/7, in English and Spanish.

Call 1-800-662-4357samhsa.gov

211 Wisconsin

Local services near you in Wisconsin, from counseling to housing to food.

Dial 211211wisconsin.org

Therapy is worth it

I have been in therapy for years, and thank God for it. If you have never gone, start with your doctor or one of the lines above and ask for a referral.

Read chapter 04
New and expecting parents

My mom had untreated postpartum depression. If you just had a baby and something feels wrong, say so.

National Maternal Mental Health Hotline

For anyone pregnant or who just had a baby. Call or text, 24/7, free and confidential.

Call 1-833-852-6262Text 1-833-852-6262

Postpartum Support International

A HelpLine for moms, dads and families, with support in English and Spanish.

Call 1-800-944-4773Text 800-944-4773postpartum.net
Men, and the trades

Men are especially bad at asking for help. Some people will tell you it makes you less of a man. It is the opposite. I have worked in construction since 1996.

Man Therapy

Straight talk about mental health, built for men who would never call it that.

mantherapy.org

Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention

Tools for crews, foremen and owners to talk about it on the job.

preventconstructionsuicide.com
Guns and a crisis

My mom had easy access to a gun at her lowest moment. Putting time and distance between a person in crisis and a gun saves lives.

Live Today, Put It Away

A map of Wisconsin gun shops that will store firearms outside your home for a while, voluntarily, when someone is struggling.

See the Wisconsin storage map

Project ChildSafe

Free cable gun locks and secure storage information.

projectchildsafe.org

Be SMART

Everytown's program for secure storage in homes with kids and teens.

besmartforkids.org
If you lost someone

I was 22 months old when I lost my mom. It took me years to reconcile with it. You do not have to carry it alone.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Support groups and resources for people who lost someone to suicide.

afsp.org

Alliance of Hope

An online community for suicide loss survivors, open any time.

allianceofhope.org
If you are worried about someone

Be the one who asks.

These five steps come from #BeThe1To, the national suicide prevention campaign.

bethe1to.com
  1. 01
    Ask

    Ask them straight out if they are thinking about suicide. Asking does not put the idea in their head.

  2. 02
    Be there

    Listen. Show up in person if you can, and on the phone if you cannot.

  3. 03
    Keep them safe

    Put distance between them and anything they could use to hurt themselves, especially a gun.

  4. 04
    Help them connect

    Call or text 988 with them. Help them find a counselor, a doctor, or someone they trust.

  5. 05
    Follow up

    Check back in a few days later. It matters more than you think.

Keep going.

If you are hurting right now

Reach the help. Ask for it out loud.

It is not easy to admit you need help. Call or text 988 anyway. It is free, it is confidential, and it is open 24/7.

Call988Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24/7 Text988If talking is too much right now Chat online988lifeline.orgChat, text and calls in English and Spanish In danger right now911Or go to the nearest emergency room
Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741 Veterans: dial 988, then press 1, or text 838255
From me

I have called it myself.

Depression lied to my mom. It told her my world would be better off without her. She was wrong about that.

I have attempted suicide three times. I have called the lifeline several times in my life, and I am glad it was there. I am still here. I got air in my lungs, and I got a story to tell.

People who ask for help should be commended. It takes courage, and you do not only do it for yourself. You do it for your family, for everyone who counts on you.

I am proof that you ask for the help and you keep going.

Khary
Where to turn

Real places. Real people.

Every one of these is free or low cost. I checked every number against the organization's own site.

Talk to someone today

For a crisis, or for a bad night that might become one.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Call, text or chat, 24/7. Free and confidential. Spanish is available.

Call 988Text 988988lifeline.org

Crisis Text Line

Text with a trained crisis counselor, 24/7.

Text HOME to 741741crisistextline.org

Veterans Crisis Line

For veterans, service members and their families. You do not need to be enrolled in VA care.

Dial 988, then press 1Text 838255Chat online

The Trevor Project

Crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people, 24/7.

Call 1-866-488-7386Text START to 678-678thetrevorproject.org
Help that lasts

Finding a therapist, support for depression, and help with drinking or drugs. My mom struggled with alcoholism, and nobody helped her with it.

NAMI HelpLine

Peer support and referrals for people with a mental health condition and their families. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern.

Call 800-950-6264Text NAMI to 62640

SAMHSA National Helpline

Treatment referrals for mental health and substance use, 24/7, in English and Spanish.

Call 1-800-662-4357samhsa.gov

211 Wisconsin

Local services near you in Wisconsin, from counseling to housing to food.

Dial 211211wisconsin.org

Therapy is worth it

I have been in therapy for years, and thank God for it. If you have never gone, start with your doctor or one of the lines above and ask for a referral.

Read chapter 04
New and expecting parents

My mom had untreated postpartum depression. If you just had a baby and something feels wrong, say so.

National Maternal Mental Health Hotline

For anyone pregnant or who just had a baby. Call or text, 24/7, free and confidential.

Call 1-833-852-6262Text 1-833-852-6262

Postpartum Support International

A HelpLine for moms, dads and families, with support in English and Spanish.

Call 1-800-944-4773Text 800-944-4773postpartum.net
Men, and the trades

Men are especially bad at asking for help. Some people will tell you it makes you less of a man. It is the opposite. I have worked in construction since 1996.

Man Therapy

Straight talk about mental health, built for men who would never call it that.

mantherapy.org

Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention

Tools for crews, foremen and owners to talk about it on the job.

preventconstructionsuicide.com
Guns and a crisis

My mom had easy access to a gun at her lowest moment. Putting time and distance between a person in crisis and a gun saves lives.

Live Today, Put It Away

A map of Wisconsin gun shops that will store firearms outside your home for a while, voluntarily, when someone is struggling.

See the Wisconsin storage map

Project ChildSafe

Free cable gun locks and secure storage information.

projectchildsafe.org

Be SMART

Everytown's program for secure storage in homes with kids and teens.

besmartforkids.org
If you lost someone

I was 22 months old when I lost my mom. It took me years to reconcile with it. You do not have to carry it alone.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Support groups and resources for people who lost someone to suicide.

afsp.org

Alliance of Hope

An online community for suicide loss survivors, open any time.

allianceofhope.org
If you are worried about someone

Be the one who asks.

These five steps come from #BeThe1To, the national suicide prevention campaign.

bethe1to.com
  1. 01
    Ask

    Ask them straight out if they are thinking about suicide. Asking does not put the idea in their head.

  2. 02
    Be there

    Listen. Show up in person if you can, and on the phone if you cannot.

  3. 03
    Keep them safe

    Put distance between them and anything they could use to hurt themselves, especially a gun.

  4. 04
    Help them connect

    Call or text 988 with them. Help them find a counselor, a doctor, or someone they trust.

  5. 05
    Follow up

    Check back in a few days later. It matters more than you think.

Keep going.

© 2026 Khary Penebaker. Based in Wisconsin.