Are suicide helplines helpful?

[curiouskitty]

I've always thought the suicide helplines were instituted because it looks like governments/non-profits are doing something, rather than formulating an actual long-term strategy of dealing with people on the brink.

I was hung up on multiple times when I called in the middle of the night, even though statistically, most people are gonna CTB during the evening/night - surely they should be more vigilant then? Another time, I was just fed empty platitudes about how wonderful life is, which is exactly the same shit that mental health counselors feed me in person, even though I am fairly open about not really liking existence.

 

[rhiino]

How can those hotlines even help anybody? They fill you with platitudes or call the cops on you. How is this supposed to help? If anything it makes me more suicidal.

 

[Zhontafly]

I never called one cause I had enough sense to know what I would be getting myself into - alot of talking me down, telling to stay calm, imagine imagine life is peachy talk ..., things arnt so bad and they will get better (there are other helplines they refer you to also!) etc.

They need to get over the fact that they cant and noone can cure all our issues (save a mysterious higher power). They arnt Jesus reborn to do miracles and save us all from ourselves.

It's unbelievably ridiculous, just how inadequate those hotlines are.

 

[bigdog]

I called suicide hotline in my country and they were completely useless. They basically wanted me to fuck off and said that I should find someone I can speak with

 

[Incorrigible77777]

Nope.

 

[CarbonMonoxide]

It really depends who you get and as someone else commented, whether you have a rapport with them or not. The first person I spoke to was incredible, listened to me for an hour and gave me more help in one phone call than the entire medical profession in over a year.
She organised telephone counselling for 6 sessions and unfortunately that person was completely useless. Obviously reading off a script, not listening properly and giving bullshit platitudes; sounded too young and inexperienced. Said she wanted me to be honest then when I outlined my plans for suicide, said I was scaring her and she didn't like it. In the final session, told me I needed to quit with the "poor me" attitude, I wasn't a child etc. (Is there anyone genuinely suicidal who isn't feeling a bit sorry for themselves? Surely when you're so desperate you've reached that point, it pretty much means you're about as sorry for yourself as you can get? All the kicks up the ass and empty platitudes in the world aren't going to suddenly turn things around and fill your life full of rainbows and sunshine.) I replied that I had clearly frustrated the hell out of her and she said yes you have. Wow. So much for ending on a positive note. That has really put me off ever calling them back. If I knew I could speak to the first girl or someone similar, it would be helpful but I don't want to take the chance.

What an absolute bitch. It's almost like some of these people either lack proper training or got into counseling for lack of a better career. This type of stuck up trash should not be allowed within a mile of a depressed person, especially a suicidal one. She's not much different from the guys on the street who look up at a person contemplating a jump and shout, "Jump! What are you waiting for?".

 

[MeriDeath]

Do you feel suicide and general helplines helpful?

Lol FUCK NO

 

[ugly_loser2008]

waht i would give to have a hotline that doesnt talk you out of but walk you through suicide.

 

[JGT]

The worst I have ever seen. They read from scripts and tell me to calm down.

The constantly ask the risk factor for any excuse to lock my ass up

 

[XYZ]

The worst I have ever seen. They read from scripts and tell me to calm down.

The constantly ask the risk factor for any excuse to lock my ass up

Nobody in the history of mankind ever calmed down when someone told them to calm down. Fuckin useless advice.

 

[rhiino]

She's not much different from the guys on the street who look up at a person contemplating a jump and shout, "Jump! What are you waiting for?".

Actually I feel these people have more empathy then the ones trying to prevent the suicide. I know I would love to have somebody like that if I stood on a bridge about to jump.

 

[CarbonMonoxide]

Actually I feel these people have more empathy then the ones trying to prevent the suicide. I know I would love to have somebody like that if I stood on a bridge about to jump.

That's a strange way of looking at it.

 

[rhiino]

Why so? The people that try to prevent it could not care less about the person trying to suicide. They act out of selfish reasons and don't care for the pain the person is in. Suicide hotlines confirm this pretty much.

Somebody encouraging a jumper is either an asshole that does so because he wants to see somebody dying or has so much empathy that he knows the jumper has suffered enormously to be at that point and it will finally free them from their pain.

 

[JGT]

Does anyone know the training that they have? In my country it used to be trained volunteers but now they tell me that they are paid now to take the calls

 

[Life_and_Death]

reading these comments makes me want to call one just for the fun of it. lol. how the hell can people react like that knowing the job they are getting into. im sorry they cleary DONT know because thats not how you should talk to anyone let alone a suicidal person that is probably more touchy then someone who isnt.

 

[omoidarui]

if someone wasn't experiencing a mental health crisis but was facing bankruptcy and potential homelessness, and called in, are the Samaritans actually trained to offer practical advice like for debt or do they still refer to fortune cookie advice like "your life is worth it" bla bla

just curious

 

[Wisdom3_1-9]

Why so? The people that try to prevent it could not care less about the person trying to suicide. They act out of selfish reasons and don't care for the pain the person is in. Suicide hotlines confirm this pretty much.

I don't think that's necessarily true. I'm sure there are selfish reasons at play at times — not wanting to feel guilt or to experience death, perhaps. Still, I believe most people think they are doing a good act by discouraging you from killing yourself. They believe that there's hope for you; that it gets better. Of course, they don't really understand your situation or your mindset. They think life is special, and that you're sacrificing the most precious gift you have. I can't blame them for their beliefs.

I guess I'd like to think the best of people in that situation. I think they do care about the pain the other person is in, and that they wish that pain would stop. They just don't know that it won't stop.

 

[rhiino]

@Wisdom3_1-9
I think they want to feel like heroes and do something good, but without investing much into it. It is all about preventing the suicide and then they couldn't care less.

 

[JGT]

"if someone wasn't experiencing a mental health crisis but was facing bankruptcy and potential homelessness, and called in, are the Samaritans actually trained to offer practical advice like for debt or do they still refer to fortune cookie advice like "your life is worth it" bla bla"

I have faced similar things, they just say about hope etc, I knew after a few times it was the same shit. There was no practical advice

 

[Lordsudbury]

I find them very helpful. Of course if rather be calling my ex partner and enjoy talking about our day, but if this is my new reality so be it.

Sometimes I'd call twice a day. Always a fresh person, who will listen to me rant, and help me out my problem into perspective then talk me through my plans. They always calm me down.

 

[restingspot]

They're good to an extent. I used to work at a hotline. If you say you're suicidal but don't have anything set they'll know you're obviously hurting and will invest the time in you. They work on a time limit though, so if you just wanted to rant they'd give you about 30-40 minutes before the higher-ups would nudge you to wrap it up.

It left me conflicted as someone who used them sometimes. I finally knew how it felt from the other side and how their training manual worked and now I can't tell if people are genuine in their saccharine positivity and "everyone is valid" take on it or if they're just doing it to fill a quota and pat themselves on the back. Dunno.

 

[JGT]

When are the authorities called on a hotline? How do they know who the person is??

 

[whywere]

NO! I have tried a suicide helpline and it left me more suicidal tahn before the call.

 

[Sprite_Geist]

From personal experience they were helpful. Every time I got a different person so their responses/mannerisms weren't exactly the same, and I thought that was good because it mean't I got a new perspective each time which is refreshing. It also means that they were not reading from a script... I think. When I talked to them about what was, and still is, making me unhappy their answers came across as impartial (in a good way) and non-judgemental. Like they tried to understand what I was going through; while being realistic in any advice they gave me. They were kind about it too; the genuine type of kindness not the fake "nice" with the "platitudes" that other people have mentioned in this thread.

 

[glitchgirl]

last week I was homeless and on the streets, called Samaritains at about 2am, because I had a bad feeling I was going to do something impulsive. But my phone kept ringing, they never picked up. I don't blame then, maybe they weren't 24 hours like other helplines, but I think they are useless anyway, since If I told the truth I'd end u sectioned again in psych unit against my will, and I still have frequent night terrors about those places I was in.

 

[Maravillosa]

When I am quite depressed, I email Samaritans ([email protected]). Although I don't live in the UK, the Samaritans accept emails from around the world. They reply within 24 hours (and usually less than 12 hours). Since I don't want to kill myself yet (I want to outlive my mother and successfully publish at least one novel), I find the Samaritans' email service quite helpful. And since I am not in the UK, what could they do if I were in imminent danger? It would take hours for them to contact my local police.

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