Health first
We want this to build you, not break you. That’s the whole reason this text exists.
- 0800 500 333 IPčko crisis helpline (in Slovak): 24/7, free, anonymous
- 0800 800 566 Nezábudka helpline (in Slovak): 24/7, free, anonymous
- 112 If a life is in immediate danger (EU)
You don’t need a reason that’s “serious enough.” Having a hard time is reason enough. The full list, chat included, is below.
Not in Slovakia? The 0800 numbers don’t work from abroad. Crisis helplines: 988 (US and Canada), 116 123 (UK and Ireland), 13 11 14 (Australia). In an emergency: 911 (US and Canada), 999 (UK), 000 (Australia). More countries are below ↓.
What’s on this page
This page has two parts. The first covers how to take everything you hear in the episodes and courses, and when to ask a doctor first. The second is a list of helplines for when it’s all too much. We link to both from our videos, because the full text won’t fit in a description.
HexaForce content is not medical advice
HexaForce content is for information and education. It is not medical, psychological, nutritional or any other professional advice, and it does not replace professional healthcare or a consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.
We’re not doctors. What we describe in the episodes is personal experience, guests’ opinions and references to research, not recommendations for you specifically. None of this creates a doctor–patient relationship.
When to ask a doctor first
Before you change your diet, sleep, training, supplements or medication — and especially before prolonged fasting, a significant calorie deficit, cold exposure, breathing techniques or a high training load — talk it through with your doctor.
This goes double if you:
- have any medical condition, or are recovering from an injury or surgery
- take medication (especially for diabetes, blood pressure, the heart or the thyroid, or psychiatric medication)
- are pregnant or breastfeeding
- have or have had an eating disorder
- are under 18
Even an evidence-based approach may not apply to you
Studies talk about averages and groups, not individuals. Personal experience, ours included, is not evidence.
Listen to your body. If unusual or worrying symptoms appear, stop and see a doctor. If a life is in acute danger, call 112 (EU) or 155 (ambulance, Slovakia).
Anything you act on from this content is your own responsibility. Neither HexaForce nor the authors are liable for damage arising from acting on this content.
If you’re not sure which parts apply to you, write to us. We’re happy to send you the background material and sources. But only your doctor can answer a question about your health, and that’s fine. Better to ask them than to go in blind.
When it’s all too much
You don’t have to hold it in. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a woman: reaching out isn’t weakness, and it doesn’t burden anyone. Silence doesn’t solve the problem. It just lets it grow. Talking about it is a first step that works.
On the other end is a trained person. Free. Anonymous. No judgment. You don’t need a reason that’s “serious enough.” Having a hard time is reason enough.
IPčko crisis helpline
0800 500 33324/7, free, anonymous (in Slovak)
Chat and counseling (in Slovak): ipcko.sk. For anyone in a mental health crisis, and for people worried about someone close to them. Don’t feel like calling? The chat is just as anonymous.
Nezábudka helpline
0800 800 56624/7, free, anonymous (in Slovak)
linkanezabudka.sk: psychological and social counseling, crisis intervention. Also for long-term hardship, addiction, violence, isolation or thoughts of death. Run by the League for Mental Health (Liga za duševné zdravie).
Linka detskej istoty (child and youth helpline)
116 11124/7, free, anonymous (in Slovak, in Slovakia)
ldi.sk: for children and young people. An adult dealing with a child’s situation can call too.
Where these numbers work
The 0800 numbers are free only from Slovakia. You can’t reach them from abroad. If you’re in Czechia: Linka první psychické pomoci 116 123 (in Czech, 24/7, free, 18+). The number 112 works across the EU.
Outside Slovakia
In immediate danger, call your local emergency number: 112 in the EU, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US and Canada, 000 in Australia.
- United States: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988, or chat at chat.988lifeline.org. 24/7, free, confidential.
- United Kingdom and Ireland: Samaritans. Call 116 123, free, day or night.
- Canada: 988 Suicide Crisis Helpline. Call or text 988, 24/7.
- Australia: Lifeline. Call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14, or chat at lifeline.org.au. 24/7.
- Anywhere else: findahelpline.com, a directory of helplines in many countries.
The national helplines above were checked on September 15, 2026, on each operator’s own website.
Emergency numbers
If you’re having thoughts of hurting yourself, don’t go through it alone. Call one of the numbers above or go to the nearest psychiatric outpatient clinic or emergency room. Help is out there, and you can reach it right now.
One more thing: when you call, you can’t mess anything up. Even if you don’t know what to say. Even if it gets better in a few days. That’s what these lines are for.
Numbers for Slovakia and Czechia verified directly on the operators’ websites in July 2026. This text is not a legal opinion.