My self and another member have written a bit about the horror that is my local crisis line. Unfortunately, all national number route through them whether it is a rape crisis line, suicide crisis line or any other type of crisis line. It all goes to the same people.
I was in bad shape earlier. I connected some dots about events in my past made me question if the attempt my mom made on my life was really just a spur of the moment drug fulled rage. They weren't exactly recovered memories because I did remember, it was more that I had never questioned the reasoning behind my moms bizarre behavior before because I dismissed as being related to her meth use. Most of what I know about the actual event though came from my boyfriend and his friend at the time as I was completely clueless and unaware. (thread for another day)
It sent me into an emotional spiral. so after not being able to get my self calm after a few hours I called the crisis line. I needed help. I needed someone to talk me out of it because I couldn't seem to stick with any grounding methods for more than a minute before my thoughts went askew again and I was deep in emotional flashbacks. At one point I was struggling so hard to catch my breath from hyperventilation that when I took a drink of water it came out my nose.
I made the call. I started off by trying to explain the situation. The lady told me that that the crisis line didn't deal with past trauma. I explained this was new revelations and I can't cope with the implications if I am right about it. I needed help getting getting calm.
Her~ For that you need a therapist.
Me~ I need help grounding
Her~ Well what have you done in the past that helps
Me~I am past the point where those things are helping
Her~Well then you need to get to the E.R. because that makes you a danger to yourself.
Me~WTF? I am not suicidal or feeling life self harming, I just need someone to tell me to f*cking breath and help calm me down because I am progressively getting
Her~ Don't raise your voice at me. We are here for crisis situation Those are things better left to a counselor. I have other calls to answer goodb...
Me~ Wait, then could you please at least explain this to my husband? (I was worried my husband wouldn't believe me that they told me they don't deal with past trauma or help with grounding)
Her~ That is something you need couples counseling for
Me~ Handed the phone to my husband because nothing frustrates me more than feeling misunderstood.
At this point my husband explained that from his understanding I was having recovered memories and she told him that they don't "deal with new trauma." She told him to take me to the E.R. so I can get something for anxiety. My husband explained to her I had those already for PTSD but there is only so many I can take in one day. She then told him to call Nami as Crisis and Suicide hotlines don't deal with trauma or PTSD.
I have to be honest though. In a way it did help. The crap..err crisis line did help by channeling my panic into anger breaking the cycle I couldn't break myself out of before I called. Maybe their motto should be "We will make you so angry that you will forget all your problems"
@cactus_jack Tagging you because I know the information in bold is relevant to you as well.
I was in bad shape earlier. I connected some dots about events in my past made me question if the attempt my mom made on my life was really just a spur of the moment drug fulled rage. They weren't exactly recovered memories because I did remember, it was more that I had never questioned the reasoning behind my moms bizarre behavior before because I dismissed as being related to her meth use. Most of what I know about the actual event though came from my boyfriend and his friend at the time as I was completely clueless and unaware. (thread for another day)
It sent me into an emotional spiral. so after not being able to get my self calm after a few hours I called the crisis line. I needed help. I needed someone to talk me out of it because I couldn't seem to stick with any grounding methods for more than a minute before my thoughts went askew again and I was deep in emotional flashbacks. At one point I was struggling so hard to catch my breath from hyperventilation that when I took a drink of water it came out my nose.
I made the call. I started off by trying to explain the situation. The lady told me that that the crisis line didn't deal with past trauma. I explained this was new revelations and I can't cope with the implications if I am right about it. I needed help getting getting calm.
Her~ For that you need a therapist.
Me~ I need help grounding
Her~ Well what have you done in the past that helps
Me~I am past the point where those things are helping
Her~Well then you need to get to the E.R. because that makes you a danger to yourself.
Me~WTF? I am not suicidal or feeling life self harming, I just need someone to tell me to f*cking breath and help calm me down because I am progressively getting
Her~ Don't raise your voice at me. We are here for crisis situation Those are things better left to a counselor. I have other calls to answer goodb...
Me~ Wait, then could you please at least explain this to my husband? (I was worried my husband wouldn't believe me that they told me they don't deal with past trauma or help with grounding)
Her~ That is something you need couples counseling for
Me~ Handed the phone to my husband because nothing frustrates me more than feeling misunderstood.
At this point my husband explained that from his understanding I was having recovered memories and she told him that they don't "deal with new trauma." She told him to take me to the E.R. so I can get something for anxiety. My husband explained to her I had those already for PTSD but there is only so many I can take in one day. She then told him to call Nami as Crisis and Suicide hotlines don't deal with trauma or PTSD.
I have to be honest though. In a way it did help. The crap..err crisis line did help by channeling my panic into anger breaking the cycle I couldn't break myself out of before I called. Maybe their motto should be "We will make you so angry that you will forget all your problems"
@cactus_jack Tagging you because I know the information in bold is relevant to you as well.
