If you look through some of our videos, you’ll hear different people from different backgrounds talking about moments in their lives when they lost hope or thought things would never change. Many of us find ourselves in those dark moments when it’s hard to find hope or figure out what to do next. But all the students and artists in those videos have something in common — they realized that they weren’t alone, found ways to change things and got the support they needed to feel better.

Sometimes we feel hopeless because of something that happens to us — we make a mistake, have to deal with a big disappointment, lose something or someone we care about, or have to deal with situations that are really stressful or overwhelming. Other times, we feel hopeless and don’t even know why. It could be depression, lack of sleep, physical illness or some other factor that is affecting the way we feel.

The good news is that things are never hopeless, we just feel like they are. There are always actions we can take to feel better. Sometimes these actions are little things we can do every day to improve how we feel, and sometimes the action that helps us is reaching out for support and someone to talk to about how we’re feeling. If you or someone you know need to talk to someone right now or are having thoughts of suicide, call 1-800-273-TALK for a confidential conversation 24/7.

Check out tips for dealing with hopelessness by clicking on “Feel Better.”