Help is available right now.
Whatever is happening, you are not in trouble, and reaching out is the right move. Here are the fastest routes to a human being who can help, day or night.
If this is a medical emergency, call 911 now or go to your nearest emergency department. That includes severe alcohol withdrawal: intense shaking, heavy sweating, vomiting, confusion, a racing heart, seizures, or seeing or hearing things that are not there. Withdrawal at this level is treatable, and hospitals treat it routinely and without judgment. Please do not wait it out alone.
Immediate support lines
Crisis and suicide support
- 988: Canada's suicide crisis helpline. Call or text 988, any time, from anywhere in Canada.
- BC Crisis Line network: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433), 24 hours.
- 310-6789 (no area code needed): BC's mental health support line, 24 hours.
Alcohol, substance use, and health
- 8-1-1 (HealthLinkBC): speak to a nurse 24 hours a day about symptoms, including withdrawal worries.
- BC Alcohol and Drug Information and Referral Service: 1-800-663-1441 (Lower Mainland 604-660-9382), 24 hours, free and confidential.
- Carebridge Pharmacy: (604) 876-6410 during pharmacy hours, for medication questions from our patients.
Crisis line details are confirmed periodically; if a number has changed, 911 and 8-1-1 always work. These services describe their own confidentiality practices when you contact them.
About stopping suddenly
If you drink heavily every day and are thinking about stopping, please involve a medical professional first. Suddenly stopping after heavy daily drinking can cause dangerous withdrawal. This is not a reason to give up on changing; it is a reason to change with support. Call 8-1-1, see your doctor, visit an urgent care clinic, or complete our private check and flag your symptoms honestly; the clinician will plan a safe route down.
If you are having thoughts of self-harm
These thoughts are more common than most people realize, and they are treatable. You deserve support today, not after some imagined rock bottom. Call or text 988 now, or 1-800-784-2433. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If it feels hard to make the call, you can start by telling one person you trust that you are struggling.
Not an emergency, but you need to talk?
- 310-6789 connects you to mental health support without needing a diagnosis or referral.
- Your family doctor or a walk-in clinic can help with both alcohol and mood concerns.
- When you are ready, our free private check is here, and it will still be free tomorrow.