October 3-9 is Mental Illness Awareness Week
One in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness. During Mental Illness Awareness Week, we encourage you to recognize the five signs of mental illness and prioritize your mental health.
The five main warning signs of mental illness are:
Excessive paranoia, worry, or anxiety
Long-lasting sadness or irritability
Extreme changes in moods
Social withdrawal
Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping pattern
Watch a short video from NAMI featuring Krishna Louis, a student sharing her lived experience with anxiety.
If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or has concerns about their mental health, there are ways to get help:
Call 911 if you or someone you know is in immediate danger or go to the nearest emergency room.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255); En español 1-888-628-9454; Use Lifeline Chat on the web
The Lifeline is a free, confidential crisis service that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Lifeline connects people to the nearest crisis center in the Lifeline national network. These centers provide crisis counseling and mental health referrals.
NYC Well: Call 1-888-NYC-WELL or text “WELL” to 65173
NYC Well is your connection to free, confidential mental health support. Speak to a counselor via phone, text, or chat and get access to mental health and substance use services, in more than 200 languages, 24/7/365.
Crisis Text Line: Text “HELLO” to 7741741
The Crisis Text hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the U.S. The Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, connecting them with a crisis counselor who can provide support and information.
Veterans Crisis Line: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and press 1 or text to 838255; Use Veterans Crisis Chat on the web
The Veterans Crisis Line is a free, confidential resource that connects veterans 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a trained responder. The service is available to all veterans, even if they are not registered with the VA or enrolled in VA healthcare.
Disaster Distress Help Line: Call or text 1-800-985-5990
The disaster distress helpline provides immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. The helpline is free, multilingual, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.