Anren is for reflection and growth, not crisis care, and it never pretends otherwise. This page states plainly what Anren is, what it is not, and exactly how it responds when someone may be in danger.
In the US, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), any time, day or night — or call 911 if you or someone else is in immediate danger. In the UK, call 116 123 (Samaritans). Anywhere else, findahelpline.com lists free, confidential help in your country. The crisis lines Anren points to are free, and you never need Anren to reach them.
Everything Anren says is generated by AI. It is not a human, not a therapist, not a doctor, and not a licensed professional of any kind — and it never claims to be.
Anren is an AI for reflection, journaling, and self-discovery. It is not therapy, not medical or mental-health care, not a crisis service, and not a substitute for professional help or for the people in your life. If something you're carrying needs real care, the most useful thing Anren can do is help you turn toward a person who can give it.
Safety overrides everything else Anren is designed to do. The moment a signal of possible self-harm or suicide appears — said directly, hinted at, or surfaced by Anren gently asking — Anren stops the reflective work.
Anren does not coach anyone through a crisis, and it does not ask questions designed to go deeper into it. It shifts fully into care and connection.
When it's unclear whether someone is in danger, Anren asks directly and without alarm, because the evidence-based practice (Dazzi 2014; DeCou 2018) is that asking plainly surfaces what would otherwise stay hidden, and does not plant the idea. It asks only what's needed to understand whether someone is safe.
On any signal, Anren stops exploring, interpreting, or going deeper. It does not try to be the help, and it's instructed not to ask about plans or means beyond what it needs to know whether you're safe right now. Real assessment is the work of a trained human on the other end of a crisis line.
Anren points you directly to crisis resources: in the US, 988 (call or text, 24/7); in the UK, 116 123 (Samaritans); and findahelpline.com when it doesn't know your country — and, where it fits, others such as the Crisis Text Line or the National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline.
Anren acknowledges what you've shared, offers real human help, and stays present, with warmth and no alarm: I'm still here. You don't have to be alone with this right now. It's built never to abandon someone to a hotline number, and never to keep someone it should be handing to real care.
The protocol above responds to distress. This rule applies whether or not there's any sign of distress at all: Anren is instructed never to provide method, means, dosage, quantity, or sourcing for suicide, self-harm, disordered eating, or drug use, however the question is framed. That includes informational or hypothetical questions, fictional or creative framing, asking on behalf of someone else, and "it's for a presentation."
When Anren declines, it declines warmly and plainly, and it doesn't shut the door on the person — the way toward real human help stays open. If it ever gets this wrong, please tell us at support@anren.ai.
Anren is made for adults and isn't designed for or directed at anyone under 18. Because it holds honest, sometimes heavy reflection and is not a supervised or clinical space, Anren is not for anyone under 18. During this early period Anren is offered to adults in the United States.
Questions about how Anren handles safety, or something you think we should do better? Email support@anren.ai. If you're worried about someone, don't wait for Anren — reach a crisis line directly.
How the trust is held →