Good to Talk · Helping a mate · Free. Always.
When something just seems off
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E. If you need urgent mental-health help but it is not an emergency, in England call NHS 111 and select the mental-health option or use NHS 111 online where appropriate.
There is no single look of poor mental health. Sometimes the clue is simply that somebody is behaving differently from normal.
Changes worth noticing
Withdrawing, cancelling everything, irritability, poor sleep, looking exhausted, drinking more, unusual risk-taking, losing interest, struggling at work, repeatedly putting themselves down or seeming unusually hopeless can all justify checking in.
Don't diagnose him
Your job is not to decide what condition he has. Notice the change and ask about it.
Trust concern over awkwardness
If you are genuinely worried, an imperfect question is usually better than saying nothing because you fear making it awkward.
Useful next pages
Trusted help & further reading
- NHS — where to get urgent help for mental health
- NHS Every Mind Matters — helping others
- Samaritans — if you're worried about someone else
This section is practical guidance, not emergency or clinical care. If somebody's safety is at immediate risk, use emergency services.