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Urgent help

Get urgent mental health help now

If you need help right now, please do not wait to hear from us. The OCD Treatment Clinic is not an emergency service.

The services on this page can help you today. Many are free and open 24 hours a day.

Call 999Find other urgent help

Call 999 or go to A&E if…

  • someone's life is at risk, for example they have seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose
  • you feel you may be about to harm yourself
  • you do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe
  • your child is at immediate risk, has self-harmed, has made a suicide attempt or has been seriously injured

A mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a physical one. You will not be wasting anyone's time.

Do not drive yourself to A&E. Ask someone to drive you, or call 999 and ask for an ambulance. A&E departments are open 24 hours a day, every day.

Call 999

Phone and text support

England

  • NHS 111 (England)

    Call 111 and select the mental health option

    24 hours a day, every day

    People of all ages, including children, and worried family members. You may be able to speak to a trained mental health professional. You can also use 111 online.

Scotland

  • NHS 24 (Scotland)

    Call 111 and choose the mental health option

    24 hours a day, 7 days a week

    People of all ages who cannot wait for their GP practice or usual service to reopen. The call is free and will not appear on your phone bill.

  • Breathing Space (Scotland)

    Call 0800 83 85 87

    Monday to Thursday, 6pm to 2am. Friday 6pm to Monday 6am.

    A free, confidential phone line for anyone in Scotland over the age of 16 who is feeling low, anxious or depressed. It is not a 24-hour line. Outside these hours, call NHS 24 on 111 or Samaritans on 116 123.

Wales

  • NHS 111 Wales

    Call 111 and press option 2

    24 hours a day, 7 days a week

    People of all ages who need urgent mental health support. Free from a landline or mobile, even with no credit. Calls are welcomed in Welsh.

Northern Ireland

  • Lifeline (Northern Ireland)

    Call 0808 808 8000

    24 hours a day, 7 days a week

    A free, confidential crisis helpline for everyone in Northern Ireland. Textphone: 18001 0808 808 8000.

UK-wide

  • Samaritans

    Call 116 123

    24 hours a day, 365 days a year

    Anyone, whatever you're going through. Free from any phone, even with no credit, and the number will not show on your bill. Relay UK users can dial 18001 116 123.

  • Shout

    Text SHOUT to 85258

    24 hours a day, 7 days a week

    A free, confidential text service for anyone in the UK who needs support. Replies can take longer at busy times.

  • Childline

    Call 0800 1111

    24 hours a day, 7 days a week

    Children and young people under 19. Free from most UK phones, and the call will not show on your phone bill. You can also use 1-2-1 online chat.

We are not an emergency service

The OCD Treatment Clinic cannot respond to emergencies. We cannot monitor emails or messages for urgent help, so please do not rely on them in a crisis. Use the services on this page instead.

If you are working with us and your symptoms are getting worse, tell Dr Craig Govan, your clinical psychologist (not a medical doctor), at your next session. If you cannot wait, or you feel unsafe, use the services on this page straight away.

If OCD brings frightening thoughts about harm

OCD can bring unwanted, violent thoughts or images about harming someone. These thoughts can be very frightening. The NHS says these are just thoughts, and having them does not mean you will act on them. The Royal College of Psychiatrists says a person with OCD is at no greater risk of causing harm than anyone else.

Our guide to intrusive thoughts in OCD explains more.

You never need to be sure it's OCD before you ask for help. Please use the services on this page to get help now if:

  • you're scared you might act on a thought
  • you're thinking about harming yourself or ending your life

Other ways to get help

If you need help soon but it is not an emergency, phone your GP practice and ask for an urgent appointment.

Do you or your child already have a mental health team, such as child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)? If they gave you a number to call in a crisis, use it when the situation is not immediately life-threatening. If someone's life is at risk, call 999.

If you'd like help with OCD but it is not urgent, you can find out how OCD is treated.

Next review due:

Sources

  1. NHS — Where to get urgent help for mental health (opens in a new tab)
  2. NHS — Help for suicidal thoughts (opens in a new tab)
  3. NHS — When to go to A&E (opens in a new tab)
  4. NHS England — Crisis Mental Health Support Available For The First Time Through 111 (opens in a new tab)
  5. NHS inform — Get urgent mental health help (opens in a new tab)
  6. NHS 24 — Support for your mental health (opens in a new tab)
  7. Welsh Government — NHS 111 Press 2 (opens in a new tab)
  8. nidirect — Mental health emergency - if you're in crisis or despair (opens in a new tab)
  9. Lifeline Helpline (opens in a new tab)
  10. Samaritans — Contact a Samaritan (opens in a new tab)
  11. Shout — Get help (opens in a new tab)
  12. Childline — Contacting Childline (opens in a new tab)
  13. Breathing Space (opens in a new tab)
  14. YoungMinds — My child needs urgent help (opens in a new tab)
  15. NHS — Symptoms - Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) (opens in a new tab)
  16. Royal College of Psychiatrists — Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (opens in a new tab)