Listen to me carefully.
If you’re reading this page, things have gone sideways. The walls are closing in, the heat is too high, and your head is whispering dangerous lies.
Stand down. That is an order. You don’t make permanent decisions on temporary bad intel. Right now, this is above our pay grade. You call the heavy hitters.
If you are in immediate danger, call emergency services now. If you’re in the U.S., you can dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Your only mission for the next hour is simple:
Buy time
Delay the decision. Time weakens the enemy.
Reduce danger
Put distance between you and anything that can hurt you.
Get a voice
A professional on the line beats being alone in your head.
Stay connected
Don’t hang up. Don’t disappear. Stay in contact.
You don’t have to solve your whole life tonight. You just have to survive it.
Crisis Line
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7).
Life-Threatening Emergency
If immediate danger is present.
Text Support
Crisis Text Line when you can’t talk out loud.
Outside the U.S.?
Use your local emergency number or national crisis line. If you can’t find it fast, call your country’s emergency services and tell them it’s a mental health emergency.
The point is not perfection. The point is getting a professional on the line.
Do these in order. No freelancing.
You don’t debate. You execute. This is how we get you through the night.
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1
Drop what can hurt you
If there’s anything nearby that increases danger, create distance. Step away. Put a barrier between you and it.
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2
Make the call (or text)
There is no honor in silence when the house is burning. Calling for backup isn’t weakness—it’s a tactical necessity.
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3
Stay on the line
Do not hang up early. Don’t disappear. Stay connected until you’re safe and the plan is clear.
If you can’t call yet, do this while you build the nerve.
These are not “fixes.” They’re a bridge to keep you alive until you connect with help.
Cold Water Reset
Splash cold water on your face or hold something cold in your hands for 30–60 seconds. It can blunt the surge.
Then take one slow breath in, longer breath out. Repeat 6 times.
Name the Room
Say out loud: where you are, the date, and what you’re doing next. “I’m safe enough to call for help.”
This pulls you out of the fog and back into the present.
Move for 120 Seconds
Stand up. Walk. Shake out your hands. Do slow bodyweight squats. Motion reduces panic load.
After 2 minutes, go straight to the phone.
Then: one contact
Text or call one person you trust and say: “I’m not okay. I need you to stay with me while I call for help.”
If you don’t have anyone: call 988 (US) or emergency services. A stranger on the line is better than alone in your head.
Read this once. Then act.
The Coping Cartel is a peer-informed educational resource, not a medical facility. We are your brothers in the fight, not your doctors. If you are in crisis, you must contact emergency services or a qualified medical professional immediately.
If you’re in the U.S.: dial 988. In a life-threatening emergency: 911. For text support: text HOME to 741741.