The holiday season can be challenging for some individuals, from family gatherings, the crowds of shopping, being alone, holiday obligations, or possibly experiencing a first holiday season without a loved one. Any or all of these can bring feelings of sadness, loneliness, and/or anger that may overshadow the expected joy of the holidays.

As we enter this holiday season, I want to share information about a free resource for individuals in our community who may need some extra help getting through the holidays. Any person may need help in coping with a stressful situation, and having access to someone who will listen can be a great benefit. To this end, we want to tell you about the Crisis Text line. The philosophy of the Crisis Text Line is that anyone who reaches out for help deserves a human response. No one should feel alone. Crisis Text Line is there any time, day or night, to help those in need.

The Crisis Text Line provides free support at your fingertips, 24/7. It is a free, confidential service available via text on mobile devices. It is intended to broaden the options available through current community crisis hotlines. Crisis

Text Line’s goal is to help individuals deal with emotional difficulty in real time.

Anyone should feel free to use Crisis Text Line. It serves all ages. An individual may text the keyword “4HOPE” to 741741 and expect a reply from a trained Crisis Counselor within five minutes. The message is confidential, anonymous and secure. Crisis Text Line does not charge texters if your cell phone plan is with AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, or Verizon, and nothing will appear on a phone bill. If your plan is with another carrier, standard messaging rates apply, and the short code 741741 will appear on your billing statement. An algorithm reviews text for severity and messages that are determined to be from someone at imminent risk are placed at the top of the queue.

This season, let’s help everyone have the best holiday possible by making sure that everyone knows that free, 24/7, confidential help is just a text away.

You are not alone. Text 4HOPE to 741741. If you would like to speak to a person, please contact the local Crisis Hotline at 740-354-1010 or 1-855-381-1010.

 

Susan Shultz
Executive Director
Adams, Lawrence, Scioto Co.
ADAMHS Board