If left alone with intense emotions, people feeling depressed, sad, or alienated can start feeling even more hopeless and helpless, angry, and withdrawn. When someone feels this bad, they may consider taking their own life, or committing suicide, to end the pain.

Some people can't think of any other way of stopping the hurt they feel inside. They don't understand that they don't have to feel that way, that they can get help. Just as in other illnesses, a person can receive the best medical treatment and still remain depressed, but there are many medical interventions that can help.

Encourage anyone you know who is depressed to get help.

Suicide and Crisis Hotlines

In case of emergency, contact 9-1-1.

Alameda County
800-309-2131

San Mateo County
North County: 650-579-0350
South County: 650-368-6655
Coastside: 650-726-6655

Santa Clara County
North County: 650-494-8420
South County: 408-683-2482
San Jose: 408-279-3312

Santa Cruz County
877-663-5433

http://www.suicide.org/hotlines/california-suicide-hotlines.html

National Alliance on Mental Illness
www.namisantaclara.org
www.namisanmateo.org