More People Than Ever Are Calling Crisis Lines. If You're a Survivor, Here's Why That's a Good Sign

Reviewed by Heard & Believed · Updated 2026-07-28

One state's crisis line usage has more than tripled in four years. That's not a sign that more people are struggling, it's a sign that reaching out is finally becoming normal.

A steep rise in people picking up the phone

In its first six months of operation, Minnesota's version of the 988 mental health crisis line fielded around 25,000 contacts. By the first half of this year alone, that number had climbed to roughly 83,000, more than triple the original pace, even though the line has now been running for several years. State legislators added dedicated funding in 2023 specifically to expand local capacity to answer that growing volume.

That kind of jump can sound alarming out of context, as if a whole state suddenly got worse off. Health officials describe it differently: more people are learning the line exists, and more people are treating a hard week as reason enough to use it, rather than waiting until things feel unbearable.

Why more calls is actually encouraging news

Officials tracking the increase have been careful to separate two different things: how many people are reaching out, and how many people are in crisis. The rise in contacts overlapped with a period when a separate measure of the state's suicide rate actually eased from an earlier high, suggesting the growth in calls reflects wider awareness and earlier reaching-out, not a population in freefall.

For survivors specifically, that distinction matters. The exact message driving this trend, that a hard moment is reason enough to call before anything feels like an emergency, is the same message trauma-informed advocates have spent years trying to get across to people carrying the weight of sexual abuse or assault, who often wait the longest of anyone to ask for help.

You don't need a crisis to justify calling

One of the biggest barriers to reaching out isn't lack of access, it's the quiet belief that whatever you're feeling isn't bad enough yet to bother anyone with. These lines are built for the in-between moments too: the anniversary that hits harder than expected, the flashback in the middle of an ordinary afternoon, the night you can't sleep and don't know why.

Hotlines built specifically for sexual assault survivors work the same way. You don't need to be in immediate danger to call, and you don't need the right words ready. Saying out loud that something feels heavy is enough of a reason on its own.

What actually happens when you reach out

A call, text, or chat connects you with a real trained person, not an automated system. You set the pace of the conversation, and you can stay as anonymous as you'd like. Nobody on the other end expects a tidy story or a clear explanation of what you're feeling and why.

You can also change your mind mid-conversation, ask a single question and hang up, or simply sit quietly while someone stays on the line with you. None of it locks you into a next step you haven't chosen yourself.

Reasons survivors put off reaching out, and why none of them have to stop you

These are some of the most common reasons people wait years to call a hotline after abuse or assault. None of them hold up once you look at them closely.

1. It's not bad enough to call: Trained advocates want to hear from you long before a moment feels unbearable, not only at the worst possible point.
2. I don't know what to say: You can start with nothing more than admitting you don't know where to start. That's a complete sentence.
3. I don't want to be a bother: These lines exist specifically because people call them. You are never an inconvenience for using a service built for exactly this.
4. I'm not ready to use any specific word: You never have to label what happened in order to get support for how it's affecting you.
5. I already see a therapist: A crisis line and ongoing therapy aren't competing options, they can work together, especially between sessions.
6. What if I'm recognized by my voice: Text and online chat options exist for exactly this concern, if calling ever feels too exposed.

You might also read

• Healing After Sexual Abuse: What Recovery Can Look Like
• You Are Not Alone: How Common This Is, and Why Reaching Out Matters
• Finding a Trauma-Informed Therapist Who's Right for You