Are Samaritans religious?

We’re not religious. The link between our name and any religious text is completely coincidental.

Our listeners will never impose any personal attitudes or beliefs on you.

What if I'm d/Deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impediment?

Callers who are d/Deaf or who have hearing or speech impairments can contact us for support by email by using [email protected] or by using the Next Generation Text (NGT) service.

Next Generation Text is not specific to Samaritans and can be used on any telephone number. You can contact Samaritans in this way using 0330 094 5717. For clarity, this service doesn’t work with 116 123.

What if I’m under 18?

You can still get in touch with us. We’re here for you, whatever you age. Our first responsibility is to you, not your parents or guardian.

You can talk to us about whatever is on your mind, we’ll listen. This might include how you look, problems at school or college, how people are treating you, and worries about exams or money.

What if I have mental health issues?

You can still get in touch with us. We provide the same support to people with mental health issues as we do for anyone else.

If you have a mental health diagnosis, you can talk about it with us, or you may want to talk to us about something else that’s troubling you, and that’s fine too.

We know that people with the same diagnosis may have very different experiences. We’ll explore what living with your mental health issue means for you. Your experience is the most important thing to us, not the label.

Because our volunteers aren’t trained mental health professionals, when you talk about your diagnosis or medication, we may not always be familiar with the medical terms.

Shouldn’t I talk to friends and family instead?

Some people do not have the support of friends or family. Others do have friends or family to talk to, but find that talking to someone neutral can also be beneficial.

We keep our conversations private, so we can't pass the information you give us onto anyone else and we won't judge or insist on giving advice.