Free Resources for Support
Mental Health & Addiction Resources That Are Absolutely Free
On this you can rely: if you’re feeling it, someone else is, too. Here’s how to find your kind—and the comfort they can provide.
Support for Vetrans: In addition to VA clinics, several other national programs provide free mental health counseling and outreach.
- The Soldiers Project. www.thesoldiersproject.org In addition to VA clinics, several other national programs provide free mental health counseling and outreach.
- The Soldiers Project. This program helps soldiers and veterans by providing free, 100 percent confidential psychological treatment. So far, the program has locations in Chicago, Houston, Long Island, New York City, Sacramento, southern California, Pennsylvania, Washington state and Wyoming. Find local contact information on The Soldiers Project website.
- Give An Hour. www.giveanhour.org This organization connects you to a local mental health clinic for a free, in-person counseling session. Volunteer mental health professionals offer help with anxiety, depression, substance abuse, PTSD, grief and any other mental health concerns. Find a local mental health provider by searching Give An Hour’s provider directory.
- Homecoming For Veterans. www.homecoming4vetrans.org The Homecoming For Veterans directory includes a list of clinicians who have agreed to see veterans for 20-minute sessions at no cost.
Support for Healthcare professionals, first responders, fire fighters& law enforcement.
- Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: www.hazeldenbettyford.org Mental health and addiction recovery Support for healthcare providers including first responders.
- Warriors Heart : www.warriorsheart.com Mental health and addiction recovery for police officers and law enforcement.
- American addiction center: www.americanaddictioncenter.org Mental health and addiction recovery support for firefighters.
Find Treatment with SAMHSA: SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator is a confidential and anonymous source of information for persons seeking treatment facilities in the United States or U.S. Territories for substance use/addiction and/or mental health problems.
Wellness Together Canada is a free mental health and substance use website to support people across Canada and Canadians living abroad, with immediate text support, information and videos on common mental health issues, mental wellness programs you can do on your own and with coaching, monitored communities of support and individual phone, video, and text counselling. Learn more: 1-866-585-0445
Together All is a free, safe, online peer-to-peer mental health community that is accessible 24/7 to help those experiencing anxiety, depression and other common mental health issues. Commissioned by over 250 organizations globally, Together All is an online service that provides access to millions with anxiety, depression and other common mental health issues through online peer-to-peer support.
Domestic Violence Support | The National Domestic Violence
(800) 799- SAFE Everyone deserves relationships free from domestic violence. When you’re ready, we’re here to listen with confidential support 24/7/365.
Struggling with alcohol addiction: aa.org Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid fellowship of alcoholics dedicated to abstinence-based recovery from alcoholism through its spiritually inclined Twelve Step program. Following its Twelve Traditions, AA is non-professional, non-denominational, as well as apolitical and unaffiliated.
Struggling with narcotic addiction: na.org Narcotics Anonymous describes itself as a “nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem.” Narcotics Anonymous uses a 12-step model developed for people with varied substance use disorders and is the second-largest 12-step organization.
Struggling with Postpartum Depression: The Postpartum Progress site (postpartumprogress.com) lists support groups in nearly every state as well as in Canada and maintains an online forum.
Struggling with Anxiety: Create your own profile at Anxiety Social Net (anxietysocialnet.com) to connect with people dealing with everything from social anxiety to agoraphobia. Prefer to meet in person? Find a state-by-state list of support groups at the Anxiety and Depression Association of America’s website (adaa.org).
Struggling with Depression or Bipolar Disorder: Locate an in-person or online group at the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance site (dbsalliance.org).
Struggling with Schizophrenia: The Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America facilitates groups nationwide; find one on its site (sczaction.org). You can also dial into its phone groups 800-273-8255
Plagued by Obsessive-Compulsive Thoughts and Behaviours: More than 200 groups are listed with the International OCD Foundation (iocdf.org), which aids those affected by the disorder and their families.
The Adult Child of an Alcoholic: The Adult Children of Alcoholics World Service Organization maintains numerous support groups and hosts call-in and online sessions (meetings.adultchildren.org).
Grieving Someone Who Died by Suicide: Join one of the many groups for survivors listed on the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website (afsp.org).
A Survivor of Rape, Sexual Assault or Incest: After Silence (aftersilence.org) is a message board and chat room for victims of sexual violence.
Battling Anorexia, Bulimia, Bing Eating or Food Addiction: Eating Disorder Hope catalogs online support groups (eatingdisorderhope.com/recovery/support-groups/online); it also offers help and advice for those close to someone struggling to overcome an eating disorder.
Battling Sex Addiction: Sex Addicts Anonymous (saa-recovery.org), similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, offers a widespread network of in-person, online, and phone meetings.
Self-Harming: Daily Strength hosts a web forum where people dealing with self-injury can find encouragement, understanding, and a new way to cope (dailystrength.org/group/self-injury).
Battling gambling addiction: The National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-522-4700) is available 24/7 and is 100% confidential. www.sumhlc.org This hotline connects callers to local health and government organizations that can assist with their gambling addiction.