URGENT SUPPORT
Suicidal thoughts
& crisis help
Severe CRPS pain can become emotionally overwhelming. If you are thinking about suicide, feel unable to stay safe, or are worried about someone else, connect with crisis support now. You do not need to have the right words before you reach out.
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If there is immediate physical danger or a life-threatening emergency in the United States, call 911.
UNITED STATES · 24/7
AVAILABLE NOW
988
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Free, confidential crisis support is available across the United States and its territories. You can call, text or use online chat.
Talk with a crisis counselor
Start a text conversation
Open the official 988 Lifeline chat
Outside the United States? Contact your local emergency service or your country’s national suicide/crisis line.
IF THIS IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW
Focus on safety first — not on solving everything today.
A suicidal crisis can narrow attention until every problem feels permanent and immediate. The first goal is to create enough safety and connection to get through the crisis period.
01
Contact 988 now
Call or text 988, or use the official 988 Lifeline chat. Tell the counselor that you are living with severe CRPS pain and that you are struggling to stay safe.
02
Bring another person into the moment
If possible, tell a trusted person what is happening and ask them to stay with you in person or on the phone while you connect with crisis support.
03
Create distance from anything you could use to hurt yourself
Move to a safer place and ask someone you trust to help reduce access to potentially dangerous items or locations while the crisis is active.
04
Use emergency services when danger is immediate
In the United States, call 911 when there is immediate physical danger or a life-threatening emergency.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO EXPLAIN CRPS PERFECTLY
A simple sentence is enough to start.
“I have severe chronic pain from CRPS. I am having suicidal thoughts and I need help staying safe.”
You can read that sentence aloud, send it as a text, or show it to someone you trust. The purpose is simply to make your situation clear enough for another person to help.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CONTACT 988?
You can reach out before you know what you need.
The 988 Lifeline is for suicidal crisis and emotional distress. You do not need to be at the point of an attempt, and you do not need to have a diagnosis before contacting it.
01
They ask about safety
A counselor will first work to understand whether you are currently safe and whether urgent intervention is needed.
02
They listen
You can explain what is happening in your own words, including severe pain, fear, exhaustion or feeling trapped by CRPS.
03
They provide support
The counselor can help you slow the crisis down, identify immediate supports and discuss what may help you stay safe.
04
They can share resources
Depending on the situation, the counselor can help identify local or follow-up resources that may be useful after the immediate crisis.
988 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
CALL · TEXT · CHAT
CRPS & EMOTIONAL CRISIS
Unbearable physical pain is a warning sign that deserves immediate support.
CRPS can disrupt sleep, mobility, work, independence and relationships. When pain feels endless, people can become frightened, exhausted or trapped. A crisis response should address emotional safety while your medical team continues to address pain and function.
Suicidal thoughts should be taken seriously even if you believe they are “only because of the pain.” The pain is part of what you are going through, and it is important to tell crisis counselors and healthcare professionals about it.
01
Say what the pain is doing to you
Tell the counselor or clinician about sleep loss, loss of function, fear, hopelessness and how pain is affecting your ability to cope.
02
Separate today's safety from tomorrow's treatment decisions
You do not need to decide every medical question while you are in crisis. First create safety; complex treatment decisions can be revisited with appropriate support.
03
Ask for coordinated follow-up
After the immediate crisis, ask your healthcare team how pain care, rehabilitation, mental-health support and safety planning can work together.
WARNING SIGNS
Take changes in words, feelings and behavior seriously.
Warning signs do not predict with certainty what someone will do, but a new or worsening pattern can mean that a person needs support quickly—especially after a painful event, major loss or significant change.
TALKING ABOUT
Death, hopelessness or being a burden
Statements about wanting to die, having no reason to live, feeling trapped, or believing that others would be better off without them require attention.
FEELING
Hopeless, trapped or in unbearable pain
Extreme sadness, agitation, rage, anxiety, emotional pain or physical pain can be part of a suicidal crisis.
BEHAVIOR
Major changes or preparation
Withdrawing, giving away possessions, saying goodbye, major sleep changes, increased substance use or making preparations for death can be warning signs.
IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT SOMEONE
You do not need to be a therapist to help someone connect with support.
If a person talks about suicide, respond directly and seriously. Asking about suicide does not put the idea into someone’s head or increase suicidal thoughts.
01
Ask directly
Use clear language. Ask whether they are thinking about suicide instead of avoiding the subject or using vague wording.
02
Stay present
Listen without judging, debating or lecturing. Give them room to explain what they are feeling.
03
Help make the situation safer
If you can do so safely, help create distance from potentially dangerous items or places while the person is in crisis.
04
Connect them with 988
You can call or text 988 yourself for guidance, or stay with the person while they contact the Lifeline.
05
Follow up
Contact them again after the immediate crisis. Ongoing supportive contact can be an important part of suicide prevention.
911
Use emergency services for immediate danger
In the United States, call 911 when there is immediate physical danger or a life-threatening emergency.
AFTER THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS
Safety support should continue after the worst moment passes.
A crisis conversation is an important first step, but follow-up care matters. Ask for a plan that addresses both suicide risk and the realities of living with CRPS.
01
Make a personalized safety plan
Work with a qualified professional to identify warning signs, coping strategies, people to contact and crisis resources to use if thoughts return.
02
Tell your healthcare team
Your pain clinician, primary-care physician and mental-health professional need to know that suicidal thoughts occurred so care can be coordinated appropriately.
03
Review the pain-management plan
Discuss whether uncontrolled pain, sleep disruption, medication effects, isolation or loss of function need additional attention.
04
Keep support easy to reach
Save 988 in your phone and identify people you can contact early—before distress becomes overwhelming.
CRPS SUPPORT · PATIENT ORIENTATION
When the urgent crisis has been addressed, Carla can help you navigate the CRPS questions that remain.
Carla Crowe is the Patient Care Coordinator – California. She can help patients understand CRPS Support resources, treatment possibilities in Italy and practical next steps.
CRISIS SUPPORT COMES FIRST
Carla is not an emergency or suicide-crisis service. If you are in crisis, contact 988 or emergency services first.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions people often have before reaching out
Not being sure whether your situation is “serious enough” is not a reason to stay alone with it.
Yes. The 988 Lifeline supports people in suicidal crisis and people experiencing emotional distress. You do not need to wait until the situation becomes more dangerous.
Tell the counselor exactly that. Severe physical pain is an important warning sign and should be part of the crisis conversation. Immediate safety and ongoing pain care can both be addressed.
No. Research summarized by the National Institute of Mental Health indicates that asking directly about suicidal thoughts does not cause or increase those thoughts. A direct question can help identify someone who needs support.
Yes. The 988 Lifeline provides guidance when you are concerned that a friend, family member or another person may be suicidal.
In the United States, use 911 for immediate physical danger or a life-threatening emergency. 988 specializes in suicide prevention, mental-health crisis support and emotional de-escalation.
TRUSTED CRISIS RESOURCES
Use official sources for crisis information.
Crisis services and guidance can change. These links connect directly to the U.S. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and the National Institute of Mental Health.
988 LIFELINE
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Official U.S. call, text and chat crisis support.
988 LIFELINE
What to expect
What happens when you call, text or chat with a 988 counselor.
NIMH
5 action steps to help someone
Evidence-based guidance for responding when someone may be suicidal.
NIMH
Warning signs of suicide
Recognizing changes that may indicate a need for urgent support.
Crisis information reviewed for this page: August 2026.
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