Rosemary Montañez
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)– Financial stress and uncertainty continue to loom for American families. However, a brand new tool is helping those who are worried have a little more peace of mind.
Crisis Text Line recently launched a dedicated text line to support people specifically facing financial stress and worry.
Natalia Dayan, the Global Expansion Director at Crisis Text Line, told ABC-7 they started this extension after seeing a surge in conversations involving people expressing their financial worries.
“I think a lot of people are talking about, you know, instability, layoffs, job loss, and just personal finances,” Dayan said.
This specific text line was launched in February. She said it was vital for people to have options available.
Since the start of 2025, Crisis Text Line has handled over 16,500 conversations related to finances.
900 conversations involving financial stress and anxiety in Texas
50 conversations involving stress and anxiety in New Mexico
“It was important for us to act fast, to be able to provide people an option where they feel supported, specifically through the financial stress issue,” she said.
Getting help through Crisis Text Line is easy.
Just text $$$ to 741741.
Dayan said that within five minutes a live, trained volunteer counselor will text you back. They will ask what type of crisis you are experiencing and help guide you best with resources.
Peter Avalos, a program manager with the Crisis Intervention Team at Emergence Health Network, said financial stress can impact how we interact with our loved ones.
“A lot of times it does impact the way that they engage and interact with their families, with their friends. It impacts their ability to go ahead and kind of sit down and kind of unwind. Because a lot of times when you have a lot of these stressors hanging over your head, you’re a little bit more fixated on, you know, how am I going to go ahead and pay the light versus, do you know, I need five minutes for myself to go home and kind of take a break?”
Avalos said he has heard many people express their financial worries during this time. He said there is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
“They’re not as present as what they should be, because a lot of times, again, they’re a little bit more focused on trying to go ahead and get through the day,” Avalos said.
To overcome these feelings, Avalos encourages people to reach out for help. He said there is help available whether it’s reaching out to family members, friends or professional help.
He encourages healthy coping skills like journaling or practicing gratitude.
“Seeing what you have, not what you’re missing. I think a lot of times we get so fixated on what we don’t have. Sometimes it’s frustrating and it really does impact our mental health overall,” he said.
Both Dayan and Avalos remind people that they are not alone.
If you are interested in learning more about Crisis Text Line and their dedicated hotline, click here.
Click here to follow the original article.
