THE 2 A.M. PROTOCOL
You do not need to solve your life tonight.
Your first task is to prevent tonight from becoming harder to repair.
Possible overdose
An unresponsive person, abnormal breathing, choking or gurgling sounds, blue or gray lips or nails, a limp body, or inability to wake may indicate overdose. If you are not sure, treat it as an overdose.
- Call emergency services.
- Use opioid overdose reversal medication such as naloxone if available and appropriate.
- Try to keep the person awake and breathing.
- Place the person on their side to reduce choking risk.
- Stay with the person until help arrives.
Do not tell someone to sleep it off. Apparent sleep is not proof of safety.
Emotional or suicidal crisis
If you are in the United States and may harm yourself or need immediate emotional crisis support, call or text 988, or use chat at 988lifeline.org/chat. If there is immediate physical danger, call emergency services.
I want to use
- Leave the immediate setting, even if the new place is imperfect.
- Increase distance from access: change rooms, leave the route, hand off keys or cash if that is safe and voluntary.
- Contact someone with a short message: I am in a high-risk moment and need ten minutes of contact.
- Address hunger, exhaustion, isolation, or agitation with the smallest available action.
- Delay every decision that would make use easier.
- Open your Operating Plan if you have one.
I already used
- Stop expansion. Do not buy more, drive, hide, or turn one event into the rest of the night.
- Check for medical danger and seek care when appropriate.
- Remove remaining access where safely possible.
- Tell one safe person a plain version of what happened.
- Restore the previous floor: water, food, sleep setup, no new danger.
- Repair one safeguard tomorrow. Do not wait for a symbolic restart date.
I cannot sleep
Do not try to force a perfect night. Reduce stimulation. Move to a safer environment. Leave the central decision closed. Take ordinary prescribed medication only as directed. Avoid major decisions, conflict messages, purchases, and private negotiations with the idea of using. If symptoms feel medically concerning, seek medical help.
I feel trapped or completely alone
Use contact before explanation. You do not need a complete account of your life to send: “I am not okay being alone with my thoughts right now. Can you stay on the phone or text for a few minutes?” If that is not available and you are in crisis in the United States, call or text 988 or use 988 chat.
The next ten minutes
- Move away from access.
- Put your body somewhere safer.
- Send one short message or call one number.
- Drink water or eat something simple if you can.
- Do not drive.
- Do not reopen the central decision tonight.