Immediate Support

How to Seek Mental Health Support Now

Entrepreneurs seek expert help to propel success. If you are struggling right now, here is where to start — today, free, and confidentially.

Please note that this site is not intended to provide clinical care. Here we provide information about when and how to seek mental health support.

Available 24/7 · Free · Confidential

If you are in a crisis, please seek help immediately. Here's how:

The services below are free, confidential, and available around the clock in the United States. You do not need a diagnosis, a referral, or insurance to use any of them.

Immediate danger

Call 911

Emergency services

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you or someone else is in immediate danger.

Call · Text · Chat

988

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988 to reach a trained crisis counselor, 24/7/365, anywhere in the United States. Spanish-language text and chat services are available.

Chat at 988lifeline.org/chat →

Text

Text HOME to 741741

Crisis Text Line

Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States — 24/7, free, confidential. A live, trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds from a secure platform.

crisistextline.org →

Why This Matters

Entrepreneurs seek expert help to propel success

Entrepreneurs seek expert help to propel success. From investors, executives, engineers, accountants and lawyers to consultants, academics, experts, mentors and advisors, entrepreneurs surround themselves with affiliates and associates who smooth the whitewater of entrepreneurship.

If you experience mental health symptoms that could cause you and your company to capsize, then now is the time to add a mental health resource to your team. While mental health symptoms can cause enormous distress, hang on to your hope because mental health care is effective. Mental health conditions are easiest to treat in their early stages, so the sooner you seek help, the better. Proactive entrepreneurs are successful entrepreneurs. Mitigate your mental health challenges and build your mental health strengths by lining up the help you need to succeed.

What To Look For

Early warning signs

Early warning signs of depression, anxiety, bipolar spectrum conditions, ADHD, and other entrepreneur mental health issues signal that it is time to seek help. Here's what to look for:

Social warning signs

  • Isolation, feeling disconnected, or withdrawal from normal activities
  • Not functioning at work; failing to lead, manage, build, and motivate others
  • Distressed and ineffective relationships with friends and family
  • Frequent disputes, arguments and fights

Emotional warning signs

  • Intrusive and extreme emotions
  • An inability to cope with problems or daily activities
  • Excessive anxiety, worry, rumination, panic attacks
  • Prolonged sadness, depression or apathy
  • Feeling helpless, hopeless, worthless, and guilt
  • Extreme moods, pronounced mood swings
  • Excessive anger and hostility
  • Feeling overwhelmed, burned out and lost
  • Loss of interest in things you usually find enjoyable

Cognitive warning signs

  • Your mind is somewhere else, distracted, scattered, difficulty concentrating
  • Suicidal thoughts, racing thoughts, catastrophic thoughts
  • Thinking about self-harm, thoughts of causing harm to others
  • Unusual or “magical” thinking
  • Impaired memory, thinking, judgement
  • Lack of curiosity and creativity

Behavioral warning signs

  • Difficulty sleeping, too much or too little sleep
  • Appetite changes, unwanted weight gain or weight loss
  • Marked changes in personality, eating or sleeping patterns
  • Violent behavior
  • Losing control of drug and alcohol use
  • Impairment caused by drugs and alcohol
  • Significant decline in hygiene and self-care
  • Significantly less active, spending too much time in bed
  • Unable to perform usual daily functions and responsibilities

Not In A Crisis

If you need support but are not in a crisis

Take advantage of these resources from Mental Health America.

Reach out to a warmline

Warmlines offer free and confidential support from people who understand what it's like to struggle with mental health problems. They are staffed by trained peers who have been through their own mental health struggles.

Find a warmline →

Join a support group

Join with others who experience the same symptoms and conditions to share mental wellness strategies and solutions.

Find a support group →

Learn about treatment options

Find out more about mental health conditions and how treatment works.

Learn about treatment →

Use self-care tools

Find apps, worksheets, mental wellness games, podcasts and more.

Browse self-care tools →

Talk with your primary care physician

Your general practitioner, internist, family practice doctor or primary care physician can help you with many mental health issues and make referrals as well.

The four resources above are provided by Mental Health America.

Also Worth Knowing

More resources

Treatment referral helpline

1-800-662-HELP (4357) · TTY 1-800-487-4889
SAMHSA's National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7/365 information and treatment referral service in English and Spanish. It does not ask for personal information. You can also search for treatment at FindTreatment.gov.

National Institute of Mental Health

NIMH's Help for Mental Illnesses guide explains how to find a provider, what questions to ask, and where federal, insurance, and university-based provider locators live — plus research-based information on mental health conditions and treatments, including Spanish-language resources.

Find a provider

Locate mental health providers and support in your area. You can filter by location, type of treatment service, or by mental health condition. Find a provider through Mental Health America →
The Psychology Today Referral Directory is another great resource to find a provider.

Curated mental health apps

Free, validated mental health apps from the VA.

PTSD Coach

The PTSD Coach app can help you learn about and manage symptoms that often occur after trauma. Get PTSD Coach →

Coping Coach

The Coping Coach app was created for everyone, to support self-care and overall mental health. Get Coping Coach →

CBT-i Coach

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is an evidence-based psychotherapy for treating insomnia. CBT-i Coach is a mobile app for people who have trouble sleeping and are engaged in CBT-I with a mental health care provider. Get CBT-i Coach →

Mindfulness Coach

Practicing mindfulness means grounding yourself in the present moment to reduce stress and cope with unpleasant thoughts and emotions. The app provides a gradual, self-guided training program designed to help you understand and adopt a simple mindfulness practice. Get Mindfulness Coach →

Couples Coach

The Couples Coach app was created for partners who want to improve their relationship and explore new ways to connect. It also includes relationship information specific to couples living with PTSD. Get Couples Coach →

Other widely-used mental health apps.

Headspace

The Headspace app and courses collection includes many relevant offerings, including these.

  • Managing Anxiety
  • Letting Go of Stress
  • Meditation and Mental Health Apps and Courses
  • Navigating Change

Daylio

A simple and intuitive app for tracking daily mood fluctuations and linking them to activities and events to better understand and manage emotions and trigger situations. Get Daylio →

Online therapy providers

Access to licensed mental health clinicians is now widely available. These platforms are worth considering.

Quartet

Quartet helps individuals find therapists through a fairly simple online intake process that includes matching based on your health insurance plan and your provider preferences. Get care with Quartet →

Alma

Alma matches you with therapists easily. The platform also offers Spanish-speaking therapists, LGBTQIA-friendly therapists, and a sliding-scale option. Find a therapist with Alma →

Grow

Grow has a simple intake and matching process, and is covered by most health insurance plans. Grow offers a mobile digital app that supports users in between therapy sessions. Find a therapist with Grow →

BetterHelp

BetterHelp is an international mental health and therapy platform that provides access to a large provider network, including text, live chat, audio and video sessions. Most health insurance plans are accepted. Discounts are available for low-income individuals. Get started with BetterHelp →

If you are in a crisis right now: call 911, call or text 988, or text HOME to 741741. Back to the top of this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Seeking support, answered

What should I do if I'm in crisis right now?

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you or someone else is in immediate danger. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line — free, confidential, 24/7 in the United States.

Is this page a substitute for clinical care?

No. This site is not intended to provide clinical care. It provides information about when and how to seek mental health support.

What are early warning signs I should watch for?

Social, emotional, cognitive and behavioral warning signs — from isolation and withdrawal to prolonged sadness, difficulty concentrating, sleep changes, and losing control of drug or alcohol use. Early warning signs signal that it is time to seek help.

Where can I find ongoing support if I'm not in crisis?

Warmlines, support groups, provider directories and self-care tools from Mental Health America; your primary care physician; and SAMHSA's free 24/7 treatment referral helpline at 1-800-662-4357 or FindTreatment.gov.