Story My experience talking with 988.

[whosready4tmrw]

A while ago, on a whim, I decided to text 988 during a particularly low night. Here was my experience for anyone thinking about reaching out to such a resource.

You're going to spend a lot of time waiting, they keep you in queue or waiting for a response long enough for you to plan a dozen different methods. Once you actually get connected, its not actually anonymous, they will collect and log as much information about you as they can; and I can only assume is permanently recorded, if you value privacy with your struggle at all, I don't recommend 988. You only get to talking after a while of data collection and listlessly waiting by your phone; once the talking actually began, I was really disappointed and almost ashamed for reaching out. (At least with the operator I got) All the messages were poorly written and unhelpful, a lot of "sorry to hear that," and "thank you for reaching out." But they never actually do anything for you, over a 20 minute conversation all I got was told to put my knives away, and that im "not a bad person and should go to a hospital." (Again at least with my operator) It seemed like someone was just doing mindless volunteer work and obviously didnt understand or care about anything someone on this forum would be going through. It was the same shallow advice I could get by talking to pre-ai google search. If you actually bring anything serious then all they'll tell you is generic "dont kill yourself baba" and to go get yourself 5150ed.

I highly recommend pursuing other resources if you're actually struggling or thinking about catching the bus. Wishing you all the best.

 

[Agent_PS]

that sounds awful but ig thats what happens when most people have to get jobs for the sake of surviving so they end up treating it like a chore and thus we get a soulless husk instead of a lively person in such situations

 

[whosready4tmrw]

that sounds awful but ig thats what happens when most people have to get jobs for the sake of surviving so they end up treating it like a chore and thus we get a soulless husk instead of a lively person in such situations

I just wish an organization like 988, that totes itself on its effectiveness and tries to be everyones first stop in a crisis, could fall so short when it matters.

 

[Unlucky777]

Yeah I've heard similar stories from people. I absolutely don't trust them.

 

[eggsausagerice]

yeah my local 988 branch knows all about me from my calls during high school and while i was enrolled in college. it's pretty much a waste of time but sometimes i would call just to be able to hear someone's voice and have them listen to the things i say. now it feels like the best thing i can do is close myself off from everyone and just sit with my awful feelings, because people don't like hearing about them or don't know what to say to me. i think the suicide hotline is what radicalized me the most about american healthcare. there's kind of no resources of a suicidal person.

 

[Xiaojiu]

Yeah, tbh I find warmlines to be more helpful!

 

[kuroshimi]

Sorry that you had such experience.

I am not american, but still never thought to get to hotline, but it seems like a waste of time for me.

 

[Strangerdanger7]

whosready4tmrw:
A while ago, on a whim, I decided to text 988 during a particularly low night. Here was my experience for anyone thinking about reaching out to such a resource.
You're going to spend a lot of time waiting, they keep you in queue or waiting for a response long enough for you to plan a dozen different methods. Once you actually get connected, its not actually anonymous, they will collect and log as much information about you as they can; and I can only assume is permanently recorded, if you value privacy with your struggle at all, I don't recommend 988. You only get to talking after a while of data collection and listlessly waiting by your phone; once the talking actually began, I was really disappointed and almost ashamed for reaching out. (At least with the operator I got) All the messages were poorly written and unhelpful, a lot of "sorry to hear that," and "thank you for reaching out." But they never actually do anything for you, over a 20 minute conversation all I got was told to put my knives away, and that im "not a bad person and should go to a hospital." (Again at least with my operator) It seemed like someone was just doing mindless volunteer work and obviously didnt understand or care about anything someone on this forum would be going through. It was the same shallow advice I could get by talking to pre-ai google search. If you actually bring anything serious then all they'll tell you is generic "dont kill yourself baba" and to go get yourself 5150ed.
I highly recommend pursuing other resources if you're actually struggling or thinking about catching the bus. Wishing you all the best.
Yeah, I wouldn't consider 988 effective.
I wouldn't even consider therapy effective, both are just kind of a waste of time you get better therapy here let me tell you that. I am for maid I am for assisted suicide I am very pro these things but I'm not depressed. I don't feel sad. I believe everything is a personal choice. I believe people should have the choice to choose when they're done. You can't accuse everyone of being depressed maybe they have just lived a full rich life and there's nothing left to do. Then you can also consider their age If they're over 50 what's left You lived a pretty long life If it were not for modern medicine you would have already expired. We just live in a society that will not embrace dying as a part of life It is sad. We should have that safety net for everybody. Maid should be the law of the land. You get better therapy here because you're amongst like-minded people who will never judge what you're feeling. You can vent all your frustrations out here.
Strangerdanger7:
whosready4tmrw:
A while ago, on a whim, I decided to text 988 during a particularly low night. Here was my experience for anyone thinking about reaching out to such a resource.
You're going to spend a lot of time waiting, they keep you in queue or waiting for a response long enough for you to plan a dozen different methods. Once you actually get connected, its not actually anonymous, they will collect and log as much information about you as they can; and I can only assume is permanently recorded, if you value privacy with your struggle at all, I don't recommend 988. You only get to talking after a while of data collection and listlessly waiting by your phone; once the talking actually began, I was really disappointed and almost ashamed for reaching out. (At least with the operator I got) All the messages were poorly written and unhelpful, a lot of "sorry to hear that," and "thank you for reaching out." But they never actually do anything for you, over a 20 minute conversation all I got was told to put my knives away, and that im "not a bad person and should go to a hospital." (Again at least with my operator) It seemed like someone was just doing mindless volunteer work and obviously didnt understand or care about anything someone on this forum would be going through. It was the same shallow advice I could get by talking to pre-ai google search. If you actually bring anything serious then all they'll tell you is generic "dont kill yourself baba" and to go get yourself 5150ed.
I highly recommend pursuing other resources if you're actually struggling or thinking about catching the bus. Wishing you all the best.
Yeah, I wouldn't consider 988 effective.
I wouldn't even consider therapy effective, both are just kind of a waste of time you get better therapy here let me tell you that. I am for maid I am for assisted suicide I am very pro these things but I'm not depressed. I don't feel sad. I believe everything is a personal choice. I believe people should have the choice to choose when they're done. You can't accuse everyone of being depressed maybe they have just lived a full rich life and there's nothing left to do. Then you can also consider their age If they're over 50 what's left You lived a pretty long life If it were not for modern medicine you would have already expired. We just live in a society that will not embrace dying as a part of life It is sad. We should have that safety net for everybody. Maid should be the law of the land. You get better therapy here because you're amongst like-minded people who will never judge what you're feeling. You can vent all your frustrations out here.
If you need a safe space to vent this is probably one of the best ones you're going to find. It's only the people who cannot relate to your story that would be spewing this suicide prevention nonsense. We live in reality here we don't study you like a lab rat in a science experiment. We embrace what they are terrified of we embrace the right to die movement. While the rest of them live in fear of death we do not. We accept dying as a part of life. They are too scared to even bring up the topic.
It's us that are truly enlightened and liberated. So if you're having a bad day vent here.
Yeah this is where you're going to find the best therapy.
We support with no judgment here.

 

[sanctionedusage]

what a horrible resource. they somehow manage to recruit only the most soulless human beings on the planet too. it makes sense though, since anyone with a conscience would feel the burden of not being able to help someone too heavily to sign up in the first place.

 

[whosready4tmrw]

what a horrible resource. they somehow manage to recruit only the most soulless human beings on the planet too. it makes sense though, since anyone with a conscience would feel the burden of not being able to help someone too heavily to sign up in the first place.

The operators definitely have to feel some major sense of detachment, which helps them do their job but doesn't mean they give good care.

 

[sanctionedusage]

The operators definitely have to feel some major sense of detachment, which helps them do their job but doesn't mean they give good care.

lol thats super naive. its not a voluntary act of self preservation and professionalism, as much as it might feel better to think that. you can see this through the effects of "doing their job" which entails literally every legitimately suicidal person flocking to reddit or sasu feeling worse than they did before and often committing anyway. this isn't a mystery to them; it's common sense, and they don't care. the people that sign up for shit like this are trying to fill out their penal community service hours in the easiest way possible, which is absolutely sitting around with their phone and sending automated responses to people they don't care about. the reality is that empathy is an extremely uncommon trait, and people seeking positions of help are more often than not looking for power, quantitative benefit (money, hours, or experience on paper), and especially, an ego boost.

 

[ConstantPain]

I'm not a fan of 988 and would never call. I'm sure it can be different around the country but locally, they do employ qualified staff. I'm friends with someone who has her MSW who did it for awhile. She is genuinely a caring, positive person and wants to help, but so much of the job is scripted and they can't really help much of anything. She didn't keep the job for very long and I suspect that probably the good ones leave and the non caring ones are the only ones who can stay. They can't prescribe meds or provide any type of financial assistance. They can't help people get health insurance or scheduled with a doctor. They just can't really DO anything.

I find this site to be a far more helpful resource. We don't have to hide anything or risk being ordered into involuntary hospitalization. We can actually be ourselves and are supported in making our own decisions!

 

[littlecutecorpse]

yeah, i never trusted 988 and never will. the only time i got into contact was during a particularly distressful moment a few years back. same empty platitudes, unsurprisingly. the way the responses were written made it feel like i was talking to chatgpt than a real person, so i really didn't feel anything. it was expected, but it's still so bullshit when pretty much everyone you talk about these problems to always love to shove these hotlines down you're throat (more likely for the sake of themselves, rather than your well-being).

 

[Goyasan]

998, or really any suicide hotline, is more of a sounding board and self-administered litmus test to get the police called upon you. I wouldn't use them as a means to get actual help with suicidal ideation or depression. For that kind of thing, you need to go to reputable and trustworthy professional not an overworked, overwhelmed call-center operator who's only there to make sure you don't harm yourself and/or others. Frankly, I don't really hate them because they're there for the most strictest and directly utilitarian purpose to deal with a suicidal person despite how they tout themselves. When I was really in the trenches of depression I would call and text them a lot (at least until my mother scolded me for doing so and now I don't share a n y t h i n g~) because, despite their general unattachment, if you just need a warm body to listen to you, to acknowledge your pain, and recognize your existence, then they're pretty good for that base desire. However, you cannot expect an operator to actually give a shit about you beyond "Is this person gonna kill themselves or someone else?" because, and let's be real here, that isn't their job. They can't do anything beyond listening to you and calling the police to stop an active attempt of fatal harm on yourself or others.