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Suicide hotline

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Has anyone called a suicide hotline? If so what is it like? I have the number but I’m too terrified to call. I’ll just go to the hospital if things get too bad.
 
I have not called but I have thought about it as well (today, in fact, so I hear you). If you do call, I hope you will share your experience. I'm kinda curious also what happens if you go to the hospital? I could not bring myself to do that. I'd be too afraid of getting committed (bad past experience). Regardless, I hope you are ok
 
Yeah a few times. It’s hit or miss to be honest. I’ve had quite a bad experience and some really good ones. I find it’s best to have an idea of what you want from them before you call. For example “hello I’m having very intense suicidal thoughts and I need a distraction until it passes” or “I’m feeling suicidal and I don’t know what to do” type of thing. The dead silence when you’re supposed to say something after they say hello is quite daunting and I find for myself it’s best to have an idea of what I’ll say instead of panicking and hanging up.

Best not to let them convince you to talk about your trauma in detail from my experience, as they really aren’t trained for it. They’re usually just volunteers they’ve been getting better over the years more trauma informed, but they’re not trained trauma therapists and that’s not where their specialties lie.

Best of luck. Hope you’re feeling a bit less shit soon.
 
I have called the crisis line many times for a variety of reasons. I am in USA and this is how I experienced it:

When you call the person answering will be either a crisis professional or a crisis team member. The team members answer when all the CP’s are busy. You can talk to them and if your issues are beyond their training then they will transfer you.

All the CP’s and team members are volunteering but usually they are already working in a trauma field like counseling or nursing, or studying to do that for a career.

After you talk about what’s bothering you they will ask for your personal information. You don’t have to give it to them and you can still talk to them. It’s helpful though, in case you get disconnected and also for follow up.

You can talk as much as you like but they usually will try to wrap it up after about an hour at most. At some point they may ask you something like, “What would you like from me today?” It’s okay to say that you don’t know. But usually, for me, some kind of planning for a resolution or next step is helpful. Even if it’s just something like, “I will take a nap.”

If you can’t get to a place of resolution or planning the next step they will usually ask if you want them to send a crisis team to your house. If you need to keep talking this can be helpful. A crisis team coming out does not mean you will be taken away. The reasons they might take you is if you are a danger to yourself or others.

At the end of the call they will ask you to follow up with a check-in or visit to your T within one week. They will also do a follow up call themselves within 24 hours.

I have had helpful CP’s and ones that were lacking, though more that were helpful. Once I became less afraid of it I was able to receive their help better.

If you become afraid and hang up they will try to call you back once if you gave them your number.

The scariest thing was listening to myself talk to them for the first time. I felt like I was going to be in big trouble (background of csa and other abuses by caregiver.)

I encourage you to call even if you don’t think it’s that bad. Because it’s there for you and it’s hard to judge “am I that bad off?” I never had anyone say I shouldn’t have called. They were generally very supportive and encouraging and talking to someone who is trained to listen and care is a relief, especially when the PTSD has led to isolation and hiding the symptoms.

ETA: having suicidal ideation is not the same as being a threat to yourself. If you have a voice in your mind that says, “Call, talk,” that means you are thinking of other options and hopefully you are calling to talk about how to find your way to those other options. Of course it’s a case by case basis, but I wanted to reassure you that having SI does not automatically mean they are sending someone out. In my city the police are understaffed, the hospitals are packed, they don’t want to pick people up unnecessarily.
 
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@Defaultxlove I didn’t call but I feel a bit better. I may call in the future. Thanks for checking up on me!
@NoWhereKnowWhere No worries! I think it may also depend which hotline one calls. Here there is a national hotline but also some smaller local ones.
The act alone of calling has been helpful to me. Just admitting out loud I’m struggling and that I want to live, just under different circumstances. That’s huge. Circumstances can be changed killing one’s self is absolute. There’s no room to manoeuvre or the possibility of change. Even if the circumstances are me and how I am coping.
 
The act alone of calling has been helpful to me. Just admitting out loud I’m struggling and that I want to live, just under different circumstances. That’s huge. Circumstances can be changed killing one’s self is absolute. There’s no room to manoeuvre or the possibility of change. Even if the circumstances are me and how I am coping.
Good point!
 
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