Story Busy signal at the suicide hotline

[nerve]

Oh well, right?

Sometimes it's nice to talk to somebody instead of dealing with it all alone. I'm surprised there's basically nothing online about this happening to people. Very isolating.

 

[Thereisnothing]

Do you find suicide helplines are helpful for you generally, have you used them before? I have used the Samaritans in the past and received very bad feedback from them, vowed never to bother again. Alot depends of course on who is on the phone at the time, as some Samaritans are much nicer and show more empathy than others. Hope you find being on here helps the isolation. Feel free to vent or chat, if doesn't change our problems but sure good to tell someone.

 

[Sadddd]

sorry this has happened, I used the Samaritans all the time and also find it very useful/helpful. Is it still busy?

 

[nerve]

Do you find suicide helplines are helpful for you generally, have you used them before? I have used the Samaritans in the past and received very bad feedback from them, vowed never to bother again. Alot depends of course on who is on the phone at the time, as some Samaritans are much nicer and show more empathy than others. Hope you find being on here helps the isolation. Feel free to vent or chat, if doesn't change our problems but sure good to tell someone.

I'm sorry that you were let down by Samaritans. It's so scary how much of dealing with suicidal thoughts seems to come down to luck. People don't like to believe there are actual risks to reaching out for help but there are.

I don't know about "helpful," but when my brain's stuck on really painful ctb thoughts, talking gives me something else to think about, even if it's just how clueless the volunteer is. I don't usually feel better after calling a hotline but it kind of speeds up the process of getting through the episode or crisis or whatever. Like I feel bad that they get touted as a solution to suicidal thoughts instead of a tool or resource. The "uh uh uh if you're sad call this number :)" rhetoric out there benefits no one.

Thank you I never understood it when people said "you aren't alone!" in reference to mental health struggles but seeing people here talk openly about stuff I actually relate to helps it make more sense.

sorry this has happened, I used the Samaritans all the time and also find it very useful/helpful. Is it still busy?

Thank you I use the Samaritans email service sometimes and get a lot out of that. It's weird and clunky but distant and impersonal enough that it's hard to get emotionally invested or upset myself.

This wasn't the first time this happened, at least! I tried two or three more times, kept getting busy signals, and then just didn't have the energy to keep trying so I crumpled into a ball on the couch for a while until I fell asleep lol. Just another day.

 

[Polly]

I think the Samaritans have gone off their game recently. While I used to find them helpful as a voice in the night, I've now been banned twice for being excessively negative (I mean seriously, why do you think I'm reaching out) and it's been pretty obvious that a number of the volunteers have not received any kind of training in empathetic support.

Actually it was not finding them useful that led me to ss.

 

[k75]

Even if you don't get a busy signal, you're likely to be on hold for an hour or more. That's what's happened to me every time I've reached out, even on the chat versions. I never tried the text line, because they make you use your cell phone and not an anonymous text program or anything. Extremely unhelpful. This was for the US help lines.

Overall, I don't recommend them anyway. I try not to steer people away from sources of help, but my experiences with the helplines were awful. In addition to long hold times, I've been hung up on, and I didn't feel like anyone cared about what I was saying or that I was upset. They seemed to be reading from scripts, like telemarketers, and wouldn't stray from that. It was impersonal and I detected no empathy.

 

[Sadddd]

have the poor experiences been mainly US or UK also? i've had short waiting times in the UK and generally the people were ok. but tbh i've only got to the stage where i have needed support in the last 12 months despite having depression and anxiety for my whole life so having someone to explain how i got to this place once a week for an hour has been helpful (especially in the mornings when i suffer the most)

I'm conscious that many members here have much more difficulties than me and don't seem to get the same benefit :-(

 

[Mizzmini45]

The suicide hotline is not great in the us atleast not in my experience

 

[Nem]

I think I talked with them once and it seemed okay. It's basically hit and miss when it comes to who is answering the call
Peace/hugs

 

[ghostspace]

I've tried the National Suicide Prevention hotline in the US and had multiple good experiences during moments of severe emotional distress/hopelessness. There were two conversations with two separate people who made a major impact on my life, and several of the other ones helped me through small things, like making something to eat, when I felt paralyzed by depression. I'm sorry to hear this isn't what others have experienced..

 

[Hyperbunny]

I think the Samaritans have gone off their game recently. While I used to find them helpful as a voice in the night, I've now been banned twice for being excessively negative (I mean seriously, why do you think I'm reaching out) and it's been pretty obvious that a number of the volunteers have not received any kind of training in empathetic support.

Actually it was not finding them useful that led me to ss.

how can u be excessively negative to a suicide helpline - thats strange