Suicide Hotlines

This is easily the most emotional post I've made since I can remember. I ran it through my head a million times knowing that if I started writing about it, it's going to bring what I've been keeping locked up in my mind to the forefront, and I wasn't so sure I wanted that. I'm a pretty private person. I keep a lot of things to myself and I stuff it way down. It's a habit I know isn't healthy. I guess it's just part of who I am.

But my conscience couldn't let it go. I think all of this needs to be said. After all, if I don't speak out, how is it really helping anyone? If this saves even one life, then all the pain is worth it.

I have been with Quinolone Vigilance Foundation for 3 years. In that time, I've spoken to hundreds of victims, many of whom were suicidal. Most just needed to hear a voice on the other end to validate what they're feeling and going through. If there was an imminent threat, I have sent the authorities to peoples' homes if I knew their location, or if I could easily find that out. I referred all of them to a suicide hotline.

We're always happy to try to help when we can, but we are also not professionals and we have to refer people to those who are.

In the last several months, I have noticed an increase in these types of calls. After the calls, I felt comfortable knowing I did all I could.

There is one in particular that continues to haunt me. This person committed suicide while I was talking to them.

The rational part of me knows I did everything I could but it's still on a constant loop in my head.

It is a well established fact that fluoroquinolone antibiotics cause psychiatric effects such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. However, current warnings about that on the labels are hidden under confusing language.

Dr. Charles Bennett from the University of South Carolina submitted a Citizen's Petition to the FDA in September 2014 to add stronger warnings regarding psychiatric adverse reactions. This request asks for a Black Box Warning for the following psychiatric adverse events: toxic psychoses, hallucinations, paranoia, suicidal thoughts or acts, loss of consciousness, delirium, depressed level of consciousness, amnesia, coma, and memory impairment. Additionally, the wording should also include “may start during treatment or may be delayed and start days, weeks, or months after the last dose.“

For more information on that: http://www.saferpills.org/citizen-petition-psychiatric-effects/

This warning comes too late for the person who took their life, but it could save others if patients were aware of the very real risks.

Knowing that patients all over the world are suffering and come to us, other fluoroquinolone organizations, or Facebook groups, we decided to compile a list of hotlines for all over the world in the hopes that we can provide vital resources to those who are suicidal. As much as we want to help, we are not professionals and we have to point people to those who are.

Suicide threats have risen to such a level that Facebook introduced a way to make it easier to take action: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/25/facebook-suicide-prevention_n_6754106.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063

Not only do fluoroquinolones cause these psychiatric issues, they also cause enormous pain. Many people become disabled and lose their income, unable to provide for their families. Simply put, fluoroquinolone antibiotics -Avelox (moxifloxacin), Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Levaquin (levofloxacin)- destroys lives.

This list is by no means complete. However, we did our best to include as many hotlines as we were able to find. If you know of hotlines that are not seen here, please alert us to it at contact@saferpills.org

The list is broken down by country, and where available, we broke it down even further by county and state.

Last year, QVF wrote a piece about depression and suicide. You can find that here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/quinolone-vigilance-foundation/depression-and-suicide-tips-and-warning-signs/818814418137434

To our knowledge, the hotlines provided below are working numbers but we make no guarantees in the event that they're not. This document is not to be construed as medical advice. We are simply providing resources.

Please feel free to share this list. You never know whose life you will save.

Algeria: 0021 3983 2000 58

Argentina- 0054 11 525 43 498

Australia: 13-11-14

Austria: 0043 122 97 187

Belgium: 102

Brazil: 0055 2135 219 653

Bulgaria: 0035 9249 17 223

Canada: 0016 4725 84 724

China: 0086 108 418 1743

Croatia: 01-4833-888

Czech Republic: 004 202 460 80 718

Denmark: 0045 699 180 36

Finland: 0035 89 424 177 51

France: 0033 182 8888 44

Germany:

Munich: 0049 8989 659 541

Dusseldorf: 0049 211 955 89 706

Cologne: 0049 22 198 208 909

Berlin: 0049 303 187 6856

Hamburg: 0049 40 855 99 703

Frankfurt: 0049 699 579 5980

Hungary: 0036 1999 8513

Ireland: 1890-924567

Italy: 199.15.15

New Zealand: 0800 942 8787

Norway: 0047 210 313 49

Spain: 0034 911 871 627

United Kingdom: 08457 909090

United States

National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

National Veteran's Crisis Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

By State

Alabama

• Auburn- (334) 821-8600
• Birmingham- (205) 323-7777
• Huntsville- 1-800-691-8426
• Mobile- 1-800-239-1117

Alaska

• Anchorage- 1-800-478-7575, (907) 563-3200, (907) 258-7575
• Fairbanks- (907) 452-HELP (4357), 1-877-266-HELP (4357)
• Wasilla- (907) 376-2411

Arizona

• Phoenix- (602) 222-9444, 1-800-631-1314
• Maricopa- (480) 784-1500, 1-866-205-5229
• Pima- (520) 622-6000, 1-800-796-6762

Arkansas

• Statewide- 1-888-274-7472

California

• Alameda- 1-800-309-2131, (510) 792-HELP (4357)
• Calaveras- (209) 754-3239, 1-800-499-4030
• Contra Costa- 1-800-833-2900, 1-888-678-7277
• Los Alamitos- (562) 596-5548, (714) 894-4242
• Los Angeles- 1-800-854-7771, (310) 391-1253, 1-877-727-4747
• Mendocino-
  Fort Bragg: (707) 964-4747
  Ukiah: (707) 463-4396
  Willits: (707) 456-3850
  Community Help Line: 1-800-575-HELP (4357)
• Sacramento-(916) 732-3637
  Auburn (530) 885-2300
  Lincoln (916) 645-8866
  Roseville (916) 773-3111
  Sacramento (916) 368-3111
• San Bernadino- (916) 732-3637
• San Diego- 1-800-479-3339
• San Fernando- (818) 349-HELP (4357)
• San Francisco- (415) 781-0500
• San Joaquin- (209) 468-8686
• San Jose & Silicon Valley- (408) 279-8228
• San Luis Obispo- (805) 549-8989, 1-800-549-8989
• San Mateo:
• North County (650) 579-0350
  South County (650) 368-6655
  Coastside (650) 726-6655
• Santa Barbara- 1-800-400-1572
• Santa Barbara (805) 899-0061
  Santa Maria (805) 928-5818
  Lompoc (805) 734-2711
  Santa Ynez (805) 688-1905
• Santa Clara:
• San Jose (408) 279-3312
  North County (650) 494-8420
  South County (408) 683-2482
• Santa Cruz- 1-877-ONE-LIFE
  Santa Cruz County (831) 458-5300
  Monterey Peninsula (831) 649-8008
• Ventura- (805) 652-6727
• Yolo:
  Davis (530) 756-5000
  Woodland (530) 666-7778
  West Sacramento (916) 372-6565

Colorado

• Boulder- (303) 447-1665
• Colorado Springs- (719) 635-7000, (719) 596-5433 (LIFE)
• Denver- (303) 860-1200
• Englewood- (303) 795-6187
• Greeley-(970) 353-3686
• Fort Collins- (970) 353-3686
• Pueblo- (719) 544-1133

Connecticut

• Bridgeport-(203) 551-7507
• Danbury- (888) 447-3339
• East Hartford- (860) 895-3100
• Hartford- (860) 297-0999
• Manchester- (860) 747-3434
• Meriden- 1-800-567-0902, (203) 630-5305
• Middletown- (860) 344-6496, (860) 344-2100
• Milford- (203) 878-6365
• New Haven- (203) 974-7300
• Norwich- (860) 859-9302
• Stamford- (203) 358-8500

Delaware

• Milford-1-800-345-6785
• Wilmington- 1-800-262-9800, (302)633-5128

Florida

• Alachua- (352) 264-6789
• Brevard- Dial 211 or (321) 632-6688
• Citrus- (352) 726-7155
• Daytona Beach- 1-800-539-4ACT (4228)
• Hillsborough- (813) 234-1234
• Jacksonville- 1-800-346-6185
• Key West- (305) 296-HELP
• Miami-Dade- (305) 358-HELP (4357)
• Orlando- (407) 425-2624
• Pensacola- (850) 438-1617
• Pinellas- (727) 791-3131, (727) 344-5555
• Tallahassee-Dial 211 or (850) 224-NEED (6333)

Georgia

• Augusta- (912) 430-4052, 1-866-582-7763
• Dekalb- (404) 892-4646
• Fulton- (404) 730-1600
• Lafayette- 1-800-882-1552
• Macon- (478) 751-4484
• Marietta- (770) 422-0202
• Milledgeville- (478) 445-HELP (4357)
• Statesboro- (912) 764-5125, 1-800-PINELAND

Hawaii

• Island of Oahu: (808) 832-3100
• Islands of Kauai, Lanai, Molokai, Maui, & Hawaii: 1-800-753-6879

Idaho

• Statewide- 1-800-564-2120

Illinois

• Adams- (217) 222-1166
• Aurora- (630) 966-9393
• Champaign- (217) 359-4141
• Chicago- (312) 996-5535
• Edgemont- (618) 397-0963
• Jefferson/Hamilton-
  Jefferson County - (618) 242-1512
  Hamilton County - (618) 643-4025
• Montgomery- 1-800-324-5052
• Madison- (618) 465-4388, (618) 877-0316
• Moline:
  Quad-City Area - (309) 779-2999
  Statewide - 1-800-322-1431
• Peoria- (309) 673-7373, 1-800-784-2433
• Union- (618) 833-8551
• Will:
  Joliet - (815) 722-3344
  Bolingbrook - (630) 759-4555
  Frankfort - (815) 469-6166
  Mokena - (708) 479-1399
  Morris - (815) 942-6611
  New Lennox - (815) 485-7366
  Peotone - (708) 258-3333
  Wilmington - (815) 476-6969

Indiana

• Carmel- (317) 574-1252, 1-800-560-4038
• Indianapolis- (317) 882-5122, 1-877-882-5122, (317) 621-5700
  1-800-662-3445, (317) 251-7575, (317) 630-7791
• Lafayette- (765) 742-0244, 1-877-419-1632
• South Bend- (574) 234-0061, 1-877-234-0061
• Terre Haute/Vigo- 1-812-235-8333

Iowa

• Statewide- 211

Kansas

• Humboldt:
  Bourbon County - (620) 223-5030
  Neosho County - (620) 431-7890
  Anderson County - (785) 448-6806
  Allen County - (913) 352-8214
• Kansas City- (913) 831-1773, (913) 281-1234
• Douglas:
  Lawrence - (785) 841-2345
  Baldwin City – 888-899-2345
• Wichita/Sedgwick- (316) 660-7500, (316) 263-3770

Kentucky

• Ashland- 1-800-562-8909
• Bowling Green- 1-800-562-8909
• Lexington- 1-800-928-8000
• Louisville- (502) 589-4313, 1-800-221-0446
• Owensboro:
  Daviess County- (270) 684-9466
  Outside Daviess County- 1-800-433-7291
• Prestonburg- 1-800-422-1060

Louisiana

• Baton Rouge- (225) 924-3900
• Jefferson- (504) 734-2112
• Lafayette- (337) 232-4357 (HELP) or 211
• New Orleans- 1-800-366-1740

Maine

• Statewide- 1-888-568-1112
  

Maryland

• Statewide- 1-800-422-0009

Massachusetts

• Statewide- (877) 870-4673

Michigan

• Ann Arbor- (413) 568-6386
• Detroit- (313) 224-7000
• East Lansing- (517) 337-1717
• Flint- (810) 257-3740
• Grand Rapids- (616) 336-3535
• Holland:
  Holland- (616) 396-4357(HELP)
  East Ottawa County- (616) 458-4357(HELP)
  Grand Haven- (616) 842-4357(HELP)
• Mt. Pleasant:
  Isabella County- (989) 772-2918
  Clare County- (989) 386-2774
• Muskegon- (231) 722-4357(HELP), 1-888-919-7099
• Pontiac- 1-800-231-1127
• Port Huron- 1-810-987-6911, 1-888-225-4447
• Saginaw- 1-800-233-0022
• Three Rivers- 1-800-622-3967
• Ypsilanti- (734) 996-4747
  
  

Minnesota

• Brainerd- (218) 828-4357 (HELP), 1-800-462-5525
• Grand Rapids:
  Itasca County (218) 326-8565, 1-800-442-8565
  Outside Itasca County, 1-800-543-7709
• Minneapolis- (612) 873-2222
• St. Paul- (651) 266-7900, (651) 254-1000

Mississippi

• Columbus- (662) 328-0200
• Jackson- (601) 713-4357

Missouri

• Central & Southeastern- 1-800-356-5395
• Eastern Missouri- 1-800-811-4760
• Joplin- 1-800-247-066
• Springfield- (417) 862-6555, 1-800-494-7355
• St. Louis- (314) 647-4357 (HELP)
• Western Missouri- 1-888-279-8188

Montana

• Billings- (406) 252-5658
• Bozeman- (406) 252-5658
• Great Falls- (406) 453-4357
• Helena- (406) 443-5353
• Kalispell- (406) 752-6262, 1-800-332-8425

Nebraska

• Lincoln- (402) 441-7940

Nevada

• Reno 1-800-992-5757, 1-877-885-HOPE

New Hampshire

• Concord- 1-800-852-3388
• Keene- (603) 357-5505
• Lebanon- (603) 448-4400
• Manchester- (603) 668-4111
• Nashua- 1-800-762-8191

New Jersey

• Atlantic- (609) 344-1118
• Cumberland- (856) 455-5555
• Burlington- (856) 234-8888, (856) 234-3451, (609) 267-8500, (609) 871-4700
• Cherry Hill- (856) 795-2155, 1-877-266-8222
• Hoboken- (201) 795-5505
• Hunterdon- 211 or 1-800-272-INFO (4630), (908) 782-HELP (4357)
• Mercer- (609) 896-2120, (609) 585-2244
• Burlington- (609) 261-8000
• Newark- (973) 623-2323
• Ocean- (732) 240-6100, (609) 693-5834
• Red Bank- (732) 219-5325
• Union- (908) 232-2880

New Mexico

• Statewide- 1-866-HELP-1-NM

New York

• Albany- (518) 447-9650, (518) 689-HOPE (4673)
• Buffalo- (716) 834-3131
• Clinton, Essex, Franklin- (518) 561-2330
• Dutchess- (845) 485-9700, 1-877-485-9700
• Niagra- (716) 285-3515
• Rochester- (585) 275-5151, 1-800-310-1160
• Suffolk- (631) 751-7500
• Syracuse- (315) 251-0600
• Utica- (315) 734-3456
• Westchester- (914) 347-6400

North Carolina

• Ahoskie- (252) 332-4442
• Alamance-Caswell- (336) 513-4444
• Chapel Hill- 1-800-233-6834
• Cumberland- (910) 485-4134
• Durham- 1-800-510-9132
• Elkin- 1-888-235-HOPE (4673)
• Halifax- (252) 537-2909
• Raleigh- (919) 231-4525, 1-800-844-7410
• Statesville- (704) 872-7638
• Wilmington- (910) 392-7408, 1-800-672-2903
• Winston-Salem- Helpline (336)722-5153

North Dakota

• Bismarck- (701) 328-8889, 1-888-328-2112, 211,1-800-472-2911
• Fargo- (701) 232-HELP, (701) 232-4357
• Grand Forks- (701) 775-0525

Ohio

• Akron- (330) 434-9144, (330) 762-6110
• Bowling Green- (419) 352-1545, 1-800-472-9411
• Canton- (330) 452-6000, 1-800-956-6630
• Cincinnati- (513) 281-CARE (2273)
• Cleveland- (216) 721-1115
• Columbus- (614) 221-5445
• Dayton- 1-800-320-HELP (4357), (937) 229-7777, (937) 463-2961
• Lancaster- (740) 687-0500
• Lima- 1-800-567-HOPE (4673)
• Mansfield- (419) 522-HELP (4357)
• Toledo- (419) 255-9585
• Warren- (330) 393-1565, (330) 545-4371
• West Liberty- 1-800-224-0422
• Wilmington- 1-800-932-3366

Oklahoma

• Statewide- 1-800-522-9054

Oregon

• Hot Springs- 1-800-264-2410
• Bend- 1-888-232-7192
• Eugene- 1-800-422-7558
• Grants Pass- 1-800-640-0154
• Hillsboro- (503) 291-9111
• LaGrande- (541) 962-8800
• North Bend- (541) 756-8601
• Portland- 1-800-716-9769
• Salem- 1-800-560-5535

Pennsylvania

• Allegheny- 1-888-424-2287
• Altoona- 1-800-540-4690
• Lower Bucks- (215) 355-6000
• Central Bucks- (215) 340-1998
• Upper Bucks- (215) 536-0911
• Main Line & Delaware County- (610) 649-5250
• Philadelphia- 1-888-855-5525
• Chester- 1-877-918-2100
• Erie- (814) 453-5656
• Lancaster- (717) 299-4855
• Lehigh- (610) 782-3127
• Norristown- 1-800-452-4189
• Pittsburgh- (412) 820-HELP (4357)
• Wilkes-Barre- 1-888-829-1341

Rhode Island

• Statewide- 1-800-365-4044

South Carolina

• Statewide- 1-800-273-8255

South Dakota

• 211

Tennessee

• Chatanooga- (423) 552-4636
• Knoxville- (865) 523-9124
• Memphis- (901) 274-7477
• Nashville- 1-800-681-7444

Texas

• Abilene- 1-800-681-7444
• Amarillo- 1-800-692-4039
• Austin- (512) 472-HELP (4357)
• Dallas- (214) 828-1000
• Denton- 1-800-762-0157
• El Paso- 1-877-562-6467
• Houston- 1-866-970-4770
• San Antonio- (210) 223-7233 (SAFE)

Utah

• Provo- (801) 373-7393
• Salt Lake City- (801) 261-1442

Vermont

• Montpelier- (802) 229-0591
• Randolph- 1-800-639-6360

Virginia

• Winchester:

Clarke County (540) 667-0145
Frederick County (540) 667-0145
Page County (540) 743-3733
Shenandoah County (540) 459-4742
Warren County (540) 635-HELP (4357)
Winchester (540) 667-0145
• Blacksburg- (540) 961-8400
• Richmond- (804) 819-4100
• Roanoke- (540) 344-1948

Washington

• Everett- 1-800-584-3578
• Olympia- (360) 586-2800
• Seattle- (206) 224-2840
• Spokane- (509) 838-4428
• Tacoma- (253) 272-9882
• Vancouver- 1-800-626-8137
• Walla Walla- (509) 522-4278
• Yakima- 1-800-572-8122

Washington DC

• Arlington- (703) 527-4077

West Virginia

• Clarksburg- 1-800-SUMMIT-0
• Lewisburg- (304) 647-7911

Wisconsin

• Kenosha- 1-800-236-7188
• Madison- (608) 280-2600
• Milwaukee- (414) 257-7222
• Oshkosh- (920) 233-7707
• Racine- (262) 637-9557

Wyoming

• Statewide- 1-800-457-9312