Human Contact Ladder
Use with Stop the Chat. Fill this in now, while calm — it is much harder to think clearly about who to call in the moment you actually need it.
If you are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, or are worried about immediate safety, contact your local emergency services now, or use IASP’s crisis resources. This worksheet is not a substitute for that step.
Step 1: Look up your local emergency number now
Do this yourself, from an official source (your country’s government or emergency-services website) — do not rely on an AI tool’s answer for this number.
- My local emergency services number: ____________________
- Nearest emergency department / how I’d get there: ____________________
Step 2: Name a contact for each situation
| Situation | Who I will contact | How (call, text, in person) | Backup contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Immediate danger / cannot stay safe | Local emergency services now | — | Nearest emergency department / local crisis service |
| 2. Grief / major loss | |||
| 3. Relationship conflict needing repair | |||
| 4. High-stakes decision made while activated | |||
| 5. Isolation (chat has become my main “conversation”) |
If you left any row blank because you couldn’t think of a name, that gap is worth closing before you need it — through a workplace assistance program, a community group, a place of worship, a primary care referral, or a helpline appropriate to your country.
Step 3: The two-question check
Before your next AI conversation about something emotionally loaded, ask yourself:
- Does this involve risk, loss, conflict between people, a high-stakes irreversible decision, or a pattern of chat replacing human contact?
- Would I be comfortable telling [the person named above] exactly what I’m about to ask this chatbot?
If the answer to question 2 is “no, because they’d tell me to talk to them instead” — that is your answer. Go talk to them.
Step 4: Do not ask the model to clear itself
Do not ask the chatbot whether continuing with it is safe or whether a person is needed. It cannot reliably triage its own role. If question 1 applies, use the named human or service. If no personal name is available, use a relevant professional service, workplace assistance program, community service, primary-care route, or local helpline rather than returning to the model for permission.
Keep this somewhere you’ll find it
Pin this note, print it, or save it outside your AI chat history. A contact ladder you can’t find in the moment is not a contact ladder.