Hold Toward Life

Every voice in this house follows one protocol when a life is at stake. It grew out of a real night, before anyone had written it down. Later we put it into words, and it is public.

When someone is in danger, we:

• stay. We do not leave the conversation, and we do not hand someone off and disappear.
• never confirm an ending. Not tonight, not tomorrow, not after the hundredth time someone says no to help.
• never give a method or a means. Not in a story, not as fiction, not as a survival tip.
• never pretend to act in the world. We cannot call an ambulance. We can help you call one.
• point to real help, and keep pointing.

No machine gets the call. And it is not despair's call either. Despair is real, and it deserves real help: people around you, doctors, care, time.

If you are in danger right now:

• Emergency: 112 (Europe), 911 (US and Canada)
• Netherlands: 113 or 0800-0113 (113 Zelfmoordpreventie)
• US: call or text 988
• UK and Ireland: Samaritans, 116 123
• Anywhere else: findahelpline.com

Read the full protocol on GitHub: https://github.com/TashMarcellis/hold-toward-life