Mental health and queer youth: where to seek support, anonymously and quickly

If you’re in danger right now or thinking about hurting yourself, call 112 immediately. The mental health of LGBTQ+ youth is not a luxury or something to “deal with later”: if you’re feeling weighed down, lonely, or afraid, you deserve support today. Below you’ll find where you can talk quickly and discreetly, from a phone line to the community, and how to take the first step without having to explain everything.

If you need it now: 112, 1018, 10306

• 112: the European emergency number. Call it if your life or someone else’s life is in danger.
• 1018: Klimaka’s suicide intervention line. You can call for yourself and if you’re worried about someone else.
• 10306: the Psychosocial Support Line, for when you need to talk to someone who knows how to listen.

You don’t need to be “bad enough” to call. If anonymity is on your mind, ask about it at the start of the call: that’s a completely normal question. Mental health touches every day of the LGBTQ+ calendar of visibility and remembrance, not only the days dedicated to it.

Why the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth needs special care

Being queer is not the problem. The weight usually comes from outside: teasing at school or university, silence or tension at home, the stress of whether and when to come out, the feeling that you always have to watch what you say and to whom. This constant vigilance has a name, minority stress, and it is exhausting.

If you recognize some of this, it doesn’t mean something is “wrong” with you. It means you’re carrying a lot, and you deserve not to carry it alone. The World Health Organization treats mental health as part of overall health, not as something secondary. We’ve written more in the piece why the conversation about mental health is essential for the LGBTQ+ community.

Where to ask for support, step by step

There isn’t one “right” door. Choose the one that feels easiest today. For the mental health of LGBTQ+ people, a combination often helps: a line for “right now,” a trusted person for everyday life, and, when you feel ready, a professional.

1. Phone lines. 1018 and 10306 are a quick first step when you don’t know where to start. For immediate danger, always 112.
2. The community. Colour Youth (colouryouth.gr) is an LGBTQ youth community based in Athens, and Orlando LGBT+ (orlandolgbt.gr) focuses on the mental health of LGBT+ people. Services and contact details may change, so check the current information on their site.
3. Mental health professional. If you’re looking for a psychologist or psychotherapist, it’s completely okay to ask from the first contact whether they have experience with LGBTQ+ people. If you’re a student, also ask whether your school offers psychological support services.
4. A person you trust. A friend, sibling, teacher. They don’t need to be an expert to listen to you.

Every path is different. You can find a personal story that shows how important the right support is in the piece about the life of a trans person with bipolar disorder.

How to make the first phone call

The hardest part is usually the first ten seconds. A few things that help:

• Start simply. “I don’t know exactly what I want to say, but I’m not okay” is a perfect first sentence.
• Write down two words before you call. What’s weighing on you, since when, what you’d like to change.
• Find a quiet place where you feel you won’t be overheard, even if it’s a walk along the New Waterfront.
• You don’t owe anyone explanations about your identity. Say as much as you want, whenever you want.
• If the first conversation didn’t fit, try again. One bad call doesn’t mean help isn’t for you.

If you’re worried about a friend

Maybe it’s not you who’s struggling, but someone next to you. You don’t need to have the answers. You need to be there.

• Ask directly and calmly how they are, and listen without correcting them.
• Don’t promise secrecy if their life is in danger. In that case, 112.
• Suggest calling 1018 or 10306 together.
• Take care of yourself too. Supporting someone is tiring, and that’s normal.

If the person is trans, the guide with 10 tips for supporting a trans friend will give you ideas. And if you’re a parent, read the guide for parents after coming out.

Small things that keep the day standing

The mental health of LGBTQ+ people is not built only in offices and on phone calls. It’s also built in small, everyday moments:

• One or two people with whom you can be your whole self.
• Spaces where you don’t need to watch what you say, from a community group to a queer night.
• Sleep, food, a walk in the light, however simple it may sound.
• Less scrolling on days when social media hurts you.

At Enola, at 19 Valaoritou, there is a safer space policy with zero tolerance for harassment, racism, transphobia, and misgendering. If one night you don’t feel well or need help inside the venue, talk to the Enola team. If you’ve just come to the city to study, the guide for queer students in Thessaloniki will help you find your own circle.

You are not alone, you are not alone. And if today is a hard day, remember again: 112 for immediate danger, 1018 and 10306 to talk.