Guide from erstmalreden.de
Many people are afraid to call a number because of their mental health. That fear is understandable. What matters is: 112 and 116117 have different tasks.
112 is right if someone is in immediate danger, life may be at risk, you do not feel safe from harming yourself or others, or urgent medical help is needed. On the phone, the first questions are usually where you are, what happened, and whether someone is in immediate danger.
Depending on the situation, an ambulance, emergency doctor, police, or other help may be sent. That does not mean the most dramatic thing always happens. It means the control center tries to decide what help is needed now. If there is danger, that is the right path.
116117 is the medical on-call service and appointment service in Germany. It can fit if you need medical help that is not life-threatening, if you do not know what to do outside office hours, or if you are looking for a psychotherapeutic consultation hour.
You may be asked about symptoms, location or postcode, and urgency. Afterwards you may get information about on-call practices, the medical on-call service, appointment service, the patient navigation tool, or the next medical step. For severe emergencies, 116117 is not the right place.
You can say: "I am mentally very unwell. I do not know which help fits. I need an assessment of whether this is urgent." If you do not feel safe right now, say that directly.
erstmalreden.de offers orientation and wording support. It does not replace counseling, therapy, diagnosis, or emergency help.