Suicide Hotlines....

[Lionheart]

Many of us who struggle with PTSD also suffer with depression. Depression can be a B*&%@ especially during the holidays and I just wanted to suggest that those of us who are having a hard time this year, familiarize ourselves with the suicide hotlines for our area.

It is as simple as searching the words, 'suicide hotline' and the name of the place we live in. I posted the number for my area for my Face Book family and friends because someone I know was wanting to eat the business end of a shotgun, so I thought it would be a good idea to post the numbers so everyone would have them handy.

I hope that the following link will be helpful...

http://suicideprevention.wikia.com/wiki/International_Suicide_Prevention_Directory if I am not sadly mistaken, this is a worldwide directory of suicide prevention hotlines, online chat, text-lines, and resources.

This is my way of saying I care about my fellow sufferers and I want you to keep on keeping on!!!

I for one am dealing with severe Major Depressive Disorder, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and grief from the loss of a loved one that occurred Dec 21, 2012. I know that I will call the hotline or check myself into the hospital if I get too depressed.

I hope that everyone who struggles with depression will follow my lead and take extra special good care of themselves during the holidays (and all year long).

In memory of Robin Williams,

Lionheart777

 

[Seasounds]

Thank you for the support. I have similar issues: just today I found myself cursing and lamenting my dear brother who killed himself this time of year.

I value your contributions, and I would also like to see you, on the forum, next year. Take care.

 

[KwanYingirl]

Thanks for your consideration. It is a difficult time of year for me too. This year I'm going to go tanning because people tell me it lifts their mood.

I carry a photo of my children with emergency numbers and reasons to live on the back.

 

[Wounded Scribe]

Thank You @Lionheart777 as one who ate the business end of a rifle, I appreciate you're concern for your friend's desire to place his life at the end of a shotgun. He'd regret it. In that moment after, he would know. Thank You so much for caring, far to many people are so apathetic and this is why so many lose their battle to depression.

 

[Purplemunchkin]

In the UK the Samaritans (08457 90 90 90) is the main suicide hotline, but you don't have to be suicidal to call them. You can also e-mail them or contact them via their website.

In their own words "Just having someone to talk to that isn't family or friends can be a tremendous help. You don't have to be suicidal to get in touch."

 

[Cool Cat]

Lol last April, September and October I rang the suicide hotline so much that some of the listeners actually knew who I was...

 

[Lionheart]

Lol last April, September and October I rang the suicide hotline so much that some of the listeners actually knew who I was...

Happy that you are still with us @Cool Cat, good job taking care of yourself! :happy:

 

[new gamma rays]

I was reading an article about New York's crisis lines awhile ago, and they were saying they really want to catch people "upstream", i.e. people who haven't thought much about suicide, who are just having their first thoughts about it, rather than downstream where it is a chronic part of their life. I feel like I'm too downstream for most suicide or crisis lines. The couple of times I've called different ones the people on the other end so flat. They expected me to just explain everything in the first couple of sentences, without asking much questions or sounding that involved or supported. Maybe it was just a bad time for me to explain, but I think there has to be other options or resources for people who are more 'downstream' like me. I wish I hadn't let myself reach this point, because the worse it gets the longer the climb just back to normalcy looks. I think you really need to check yourself in therapy from reaching the end of your rope, not necessarily hope for an interaction with a stranger to improve things much. Maybe I"m just being pessimistic, but suicide lines have underwhelmed me. I encourage people to find friends or professionals to talk yourself through the holidays. Not saying the suicide line is not needed, just saying for me it didn't really help a whole lot.

 

[Fadeaway]

I called mine today. I have the worst luck with them. They always ask me what I want them to do for me. I want help. I am calling because I am making an effort to fight against ending my life. If i knew what I needed I wouldn't be calling them. I would be out there doing it.

 

[Lionheart]

I encourage people to find friends or professionals to talk yourself through the holidays.

I also have to agree that friends and professionals are 'choice' in working to free ourselves of suicidal depression, still when in a fix, it is probably better to reach out to a stranger than to not reach out at all...(at least one would hope).

Come to think of it, I wonder if the people on the other end of the hotlines have any training because I have felt let down in the past too and not near as supported as I would have liked. So, my plan is to check myself into the hospital for suicide watch should I get the urge to act out the depression.

I guess the main point I wanted to make with this thread is that there are people who care and do not want you to harm yourself in any way!!! It's because I have struggled a lot during the holidays that I am trying to encourage others to have a plan to care for themselves.

 

[Purplemunchkin]

I can't comment for any other helplines out there, but in the UK the Samaritans are trained in 'active listening'. They are not counselors, and are not supposed to give advice or share their personal opinions. Rather they will turn questions back to the caller; "what do you think?","why do you think that?", etc.

It is just an anonymous number to call when you need to know that someone is there. You don't even have to speak, or you can talk about the weather, or you can pour out your heart and soul, share a secret, confess a crime, whatever you want. But they can't give you answers.

@new gamma rays The New York crisis line sound like they doesn't really like a crisis, don't they?!

 

[Fadeaway]

I have a personal axe to grind with the Samaritans. I am in the U.S. but I e-mailed them., Told them my whole story as I cried. It was huge and horribly difficult even writing it. They wrote back to me "So what has changed in the last 9 years to make you feel this way." That said to me they were using a program to scan for key words. If all they got was the fact I mention something happened 9 years ago in the middle of my letter themn it had to be a bot and not a human who would have seen hat was written before and after that.