Not A Second Time: Learning Where The Line Is

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Resources

Resources


There were moments in my life when I didn’t need another inspirational quote.

I didn’t need a lecture.
I didn’t need someone telling me to “stay positive.”

I needed help—real help—while I was broke, ashamed, starting over, and trying not to fall backwards.

This page exists because I’ve been the guy staring at a phone at 2 a.m., wondering who I could call without making things worse. I’ve been the guy Googling “help” and feeling even more alone when the results didn’t fit my reality. I’ve been the guy who didn’t know which doors were open to someone with a record, no money, and very little margin for failure.

The resources listed here aren’t a promise that things will suddenly get easy. They’re a reminder that doing nothing is not your only option.

Some of these services helped me directly. Others were recommended to me when I didn’t know where else to turn. All of them are here because people in Canada—many of them in Ottawa—are quietly doing the work of showing up for people who are starting over.

If you’re in crisis, overwhelmed, newly released, unhoused, unemployed, grieving, or just exhausted from trying to hold it together—start somewhere. Start anywhere. You don’t have to make ten calls. You just have to make one.

You’re not weak for needing help.
You’re not broken because you’re here.
And you’re not the only one reading this.

Note about this page:
This page is a living document. I don’t have all the answers—and I won’t pretend that I do—but I’m committed to adding to this list as I learn what actually helps.

Please check each resource directly before relying on it. Programs change, funding gets cut, and availability can shift without warning. I’ll update this page when I can, but accuracy ultimately lives with the organizations themselves.

This page exists to help you take a first step—not to speak for anyone else.

Crisis & Mental Health Support (Ottawa / Canada)

If you are in immediate danger, or feel like you might hurt yourself or someone else, please stop reading and reach out now. You don’t need to explain your whole life. You don’t need the right words. You just need to connect with another human being.

9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline (Canada – Nationwide)

Call or text: 9-8-8
Available 24/7, in English and French.

This is a Canada-wide crisis line for people who are thinking about suicide, self-harm, or who feel completely overwhelmed. You can call or text. You don’t have to be “sure” you’re suicidal to use it. If things feel unbearable, that’s enough.

If I had known this existed earlier, I would have used it. Waiting until things are “bad enough” is how people disappear.

Ottawa Distress Centre

Phone: 613-238-3311
Website chat available - https://www.dcottawa.on.ca/
24/7 crisis support.

This is a local Ottawa service, staffed by people who understand the realities of isolation, poverty, addiction, grief, and mental health crises. You can talk things out without being judged or rushed.

This line is for:

  • Emotional distress

  • Suicidal thoughts

  • Feeling alone or overwhelmed

  • Needing to talk right now

Crisis Services Canada

Phone: 1-833-456-4566
Text: 45645 (evenings)

A national crisis service that supports people across Canada, including those dealing with depression, anxiety, trauma, and suicidal thoughts. If one door feels closed, try another.

Emergency Services

Call: 911

If you are in immediate danger, or someone with you is at risk, emergency services exist for a reason. Calling for help is not a failure. Staying alive matters more than pride.

A note worth reading

Reaching out during a mental health crisis can feel humiliating—especially if you’re used to handling things on your own, or you’ve learned the hard way not to trust systems.

I won’t pretend every call is perfect.
I won’t pretend every system gets it right.

But silence is heavier than disappointment, and isolation is more dangerous than an awkward conversation. If the first call doesn’t help, make a second one. That isn’t weakness. That’s survival.

If you’re still here after reading this, that tells me something:
Part of you wants things to change—even if you don’t know how yet.

That part is worth protecting.