Sometimes it helps to talk to another person. ChatFriends can offer companionship and peer conversation, but it is not a counselling service, crisis line or substitute for professional healthcare.
What the community can offer
Members may share everyday experiences, listen without judgement and help someone feel less alone. No member should diagnose another person or tell them to stop treatment.
Protect your privacy
Share only what feels safe. Avoid posting identifying medical information, addresses, phone numbers or anything that could put you at risk.
When you need urgent help
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A& E. For urgent mental health support in England, call NHS 111 and select the mental health option. Samaritans can be reached on 116 123 across the UK and Ireland.
Listen without becoming somebody’s clinician
A helpful reply can be simple: acknowledge what the person said, ask what kind of conversation would help and avoid promising that everything will be fine. Personal experience may be shared as experience, not as a diagnosis or treatment instruction.
Do not take sole responsibility for another member’s safety. If a conversation suggests immediate danger, involve the appropriate emergency or crisis service and use the platform’s reporting tools.
Keep the room safe for everyone
Graphic descriptions can distress other readers. Use calm language, respect requests to change subject and avoid asking for details that are not needed. Members are allowed to step away when a conversation is beyond what they can safely hold.
ChatFriends can reduce a quiet moment and offer companionship, but it cannot assess risk or provide confidential clinical care. The mental health help page explains where to find qualified UK support.
Join the conversation
Read the room for a moment, follow the current subject and start with a simple contribution. If you are unsure what to say, use one of our conversation starters and adapt it to the discussion already happening.