Tortured_empath
Arcanist
- Apr 7, 2019
- 463
Has anyone tried this? I'm not going to get myself hospitalized - I just need someone to talk to tonight. What has your experiences been with the people on the other side of the phone?
iv never had an experience on a hotline, i just idk dont feel comfortable with it for some reason, but everyones different i guess.
if you ever need anyone to talk to, im all ears.
Tortured_empath
Arcanist
- Apr 7, 2019
- 463
I understand. I am not one for phone conversations with strangers either. But speaking to someone verbally is not something I am able to with anyone otherwise.
Thank you for that my friend, I will keep it in mind if my call fails.
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omoidarui
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
- Apr 30, 2019
- 993
there's a number you can text instead of call if that appeals more (though I haven't tried it)
cryptic_cynic
Degenerate
- Jul 8, 2019
- 129
They're stupid, know-nothing cunts just like everyone else in this disgusting world. Just because they think they are helping people doesn't make them any less fucking worthless and ridiculous.
freemefrompain
Member
- Aug 5, 2019
- 39
They are beneficial if your in a fairly state of calm and require some venting/support/chat but if you are panicky and expressing risky harm that's when they'd forward it onto the hospital. Hope I was some help<3
Like @freemefrompain said if they think you are a threat to yourself or others, and have your details because you called directly with your actual phone, there is a risk of being reported. There really isn't an easy way to make calls or send SMS anonymously so it can be a challenge. You have to get a VOIP number and set up some software. Even Skype or other well known services that allow calls to POTS numbers will display your information now. Chats often block Tor or proxies so it can be hard to find one that works. I haven't tried for ages because it just never helped after all the effort and roadblocks.
As to their value...I always tell people to try things themselves first and see. I'd not want someone to avoid something that could help them because I was negative about it. That said my experiences with hotlines has been universally negative, and had I not taken anonymity steps I would have absolutely been reported. But the worst part was the ones who hung up because "well we are out of time" or acted annoyed. It just made things worse for me. Also many hotlines are just clearing houses for private mental hospital referrals and have very untrained staff. They get very frustrated if you won't give them your location and info because their purpose is to get you paying the closest clinic on their list. Samaritans UK is probably one of the more decent ones from what I have heard over the years and is not a for-profit referral service.
Like everything else around this topic its maddeningly difficult to get anything done. Walls and aggravation everywhere. Honestly if just talking is what you want, I think you are better off finding someone here who has the time and patience to fill that role. Some 20yo psych student full of piss and vinegar or some volunteer from a church etc isn't going to help in my view. But as I said...give it a shot. Just be careful if you are calling on an open line. Do NOT tell them you have a plan etc.
As to their value...I always tell people to try things themselves first and see. I'd not want someone to avoid something that could help them because I was negative about it. That said my experiences with hotlines has been universally negative, and had I not taken anonymity steps I would have absolutely been reported. But the worst part was the ones who hung up because "well we are out of time" or acted annoyed. It just made things worse for me. Also many hotlines are just clearing houses for private mental hospital referrals and have very untrained staff. They get very frustrated if you won't give them your location and info because their purpose is to get you paying the closest clinic on their list. Samaritans UK is probably one of the more decent ones from what I have heard over the years and is not a for-profit referral service.
Like everything else around this topic its maddeningly difficult to get anything done. Walls and aggravation everywhere. Honestly if just talking is what you want, I think you are better off finding someone here who has the time and patience to fill that role. Some 20yo psych student full of piss and vinegar or some volunteer from a church etc isn't going to help in my view. But as I said...give it a shot. Just be careful if you are calling on an open line. Do NOT tell them you have a plan etc.
I tried a hot-line once. I wouldn't reccommend it. The biggest problem is how everyone turns a blind-eye to mental health, even if they think they are helping.
SinisterKid
Visionary
- Jun 1, 2019
- 2,113
I have a Crisis Team in my home city and to be honest, they are a bit of a joke. OK, a lot of a joke. No training whatsoever, just a bunch of well meaning individuals who want a wage packet to pay the bills. No doubt the think they offer a valuable service, but I have my doubts. They ask you all the usual stuff and if you tell them you are not at risk then its conversation over. They have more "important" cases to deal with.
I have honestly found, talking to like minded people who are suffering in ways similar to my own, is far more beneficial than therapy or hotlines could ever be.
I have honestly found, talking to like minded people who are suffering in ways similar to my own, is far more beneficial than therapy or hotlines could ever be.
I would recommend calling the good Samaritan in the UK or a similar service as they won't report you. Or even a good friend, family member or whatever else. Hotlines are going to assume your calling because you are not coping and generally tell you platitudes.
Xaphous
hikikomori
- Nov 11, 2018
- 550
Just like cryptic said, fucking useless. They will quickly want to ask where you live too if you say you are suicidal so they can have you sectioned/arrested
Rocksandsand
Specialist
- May 26, 2019
- 396
My experience was quite bad. I was communicating via text and after I said that I didn't see any of the salient factors leading to me feeling suicidal changing just because I contacted them, they ended the communication.
I put in a complaint against who I spoke to a few days later once I felt up to it. I wouldn't wish my experience on anyone. I have honestly had more relief speaking to people here
I put in a complaint against who I spoke to a few days later once I felt up to it. I wouldn't wish my experience on anyone. I have honestly had more relief speaking to people here
In my opinion these hotlines are useless. Indifferent zombie operators just waiting to report and call cops on you. So many people have had really bad experience with them, some got in even more trouble because of them. "Qualified" therapists and psychiatrists usually fail miserably to help troubled/depressed/suicidal people, so do you really expect some unqualified volunteer or bored/frustrated minimum wage worker from a hotline to do the trick? Many people here are way more caring. helpful and understanding.
Suicide hotlines aren't helpful in the least. The only good thing about them is that they can't get you committed, at least if you call using *67 and don't give them your name.
You will get some empathy, but in general hotlines that you call or on-line chat hotlines are fairly formulaic. They will ask how they can help, express sympathy, ask if you are safe, ask if you've tried counseling and offer you ways to get counseling. You will get about an hour of time if you chat on-line. It's not meant to be a therapy session. If the hotline counselor detects an acute amount of desperation in your voice and what you say, it is likely they will contact the police to visit you, who in turn can force you to go to a hospital to get checked out. If you say/write that you have a plan or you talk like you have one, i.e., "I often think of going to a bridge near my house.. or I bought SN and am thinking of taking it..." there is a high probability the police will be called without you knowing it. Once in the hospital, the chances are virtually 100% that you will be forced to stay at least 2 nights no matter how stable you present yourself at that point. Calling is probably better than nothing if you don't have anyone else you to whom you can talk. Be careful.
That's why I'd suggest calling them using *67 and not giving your name. That way, they'll be completely clueless about who you are.
I believe *67 just blocks your number from appearing. I do not think it blocks locating where the call is coming from or the IP address.
If they can even see your IP address, they still will be unlikely to locate you. It's almost impossible to trace down dynamic IP addresses like those on your phone.
IPs can only be tracked to a general location like your county. Even the police have a hard time tracking down dynamic IPs (such as the phone) to a specific location.
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Maravillosa
Господи помилуй — мир в Україні!
- Sep 7, 2018
- 689
I found that emailing the Samaritans helped me a lot when I was having suicidal ideation that I did not want to succumb to, at least not till after my novel is published and my mother is dead. (I wrote to the Samaritans in August 2018, January/February 2019, and May/June 2019). I could write down what I was feeling and get a helpful and compassionate reply. One does not have to live in the UK to email the Samaritans -- they answer emails from all over the world. (I suppose that the emails have to be written in English.) If one can wait up to 24 hours for a reply (usually, it is less than eight hours), emailing the Samaritans is excellent, in my opinion.
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Suicide Hotline: "Don't kill yourself. Life isn't so bad."
I will give them some credit, given they are just volunteers.
I will give them some credit, given they are just volunteers.
samaritans in the UK I find pretty good. Though you can't choose the person on the other end of the line and a while back I was phoning them maybe once a day or once every two days when I was really down and I found a couple of the volunteers a bit off. One said 'It seems you have made up your mind so there is no point talking to you' ,another one,when I mentioned being angry with certain people from my past,she started saying I should be in a secure unit. I don't believe samaritans are allowed to contact any third party unless they believe someone not the person on the phone is in immediate danger. They don't offer solutions to your problems they simply provide a listening ,should be none judgemental ear.
Basel
Member
- Apr 3, 2019
- 6
horrible do not even think about calling them they truly don't understand what a suicidal person is going through.
Also, you may want to look around for the right hotline, so you may not need to censure as much. I think I would avoid crisischat.org. Lately, they do the following: 1. Point blank ask if you are have a plan for suicide 2. Ask what's going on with you and how they can help 3. Ask what you've tried to do to help yourself, i.e., therapy 4. Offer some ideas 5. Tell you they have to move on to the next call.
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