Even the samaritans hang up !

I was low, as in big time low, and rang the samaritans, I needed to hear a friendly voice. We chatted a while, she was nice, I even laughed once or twice, it's been a while.

It was all rather spoilt then when she said 'we have had our time, we must hang up now'.

W.T.F. ? There weren't unanswered phones ringing in the background suggesting a busy time. Why would she cut me off ? Was I not desperate enough ? Suicidal, no, desperate, yes.

It's a rough sign, when even the samaritans hang up on you.

Hey LadyZero,

I am sorry you feel rejected in a way. I think you are given only X amount of time as its like a counselling session. You can email them too... however you won't get a reply automatically, takes up to 6 hours I think. I have been in once to my local Samartian's centre for a 1:1 so you could see if you can do this.

Hope you are feeling slightly better tonight?

Bless you and thank you for reply.
Maybe an allowed time is the reason but it felt like she was bored, uninterested maybe. Hey -ho-diddly, I survived. No biggie I suppose, ha ha til I get my phone bill. Didn't thinj did I, call must have cost me a fortune, from my mobile. Big oops !

Well just another day in bed, for me. Not a great start to the year. Just never a reason to get up.

Someone please, make me have a word with my self !

Well, I wouldn't exactly call that just hanging up on someone. They're only allotted a certain amount of time--and they need to go on with their lives, just like the rest of us do.

Well, she said we must hang up now, and then did. She hung
up !
I dont dispute these people have lives to lead, but they volunteer, their time, to listen to those in crisis. My crisis didn't have a time limit. I felt like she had evalued my need, and handled my call in a token fashion. That's how it felt

(((ladyzero)))) the samaritans are very busy at this time of year, ok you were on a big time low, and needed their support, but there are others who are suicidal who need them too, by limiting their time with you meant they could help someone else too, think how you would have felt if they had not answered your call at all, that is how someone else would have felt if your call had continued. there is nothing stopping you from recalling them if you feel your issue was not resolved but please remember you have friends here who are happy to listen too, you are not alone x.

I think she could have ended the call in a better way. I would have the felt the same way Ladyzero did in the end which would have put me back at square one. She could have said it was nice talking to you but I have to get off here now and so on instead of ending the call like you are just another number.

to me, that would have been the equivalent of a therapist constantly checking their watch during a session. Like mentioned above, a crisis doens't have a time limit.

when i attempted in october i called a suicide hotline because i didn't want to die alone. the lady i talked to stayed on the line with me for several hours. i don't know exactly how long because things got blurry towards the end. but it was more than two hours, that much i know. she never stopped talking to me, never gave me the impression that she had other things to do. and somehow she managed to send police and ambulance out to where i was, without ever getting off the phoen with me.

i think you have every right to be upset about the way it went. she could at least have said something like "well, you sound a little bit better. are you feeling a bit better? is there anything else i can do for you/help you with?" not an abrupt "gotta go bye". i think that was just plain rude.

I agree with above - it was probably not meant in a negative way but she could have managed the ending of that call better.

I'm sorry she left you feeling that way but I am sure she would not have meant any harm

Thank you all for your replies

sorry this happened to you lady 0- but, i admire you for calling them- congrats!

like was said, yeah... she could have handled the call better... okay, i have to go now- but if you need us again, feel free to call back

i've used the email service quite a bit myself- it is very useful!. i encourage you strongly to try it

Ladyzero, I understand that it feels very hurtful. Someone else above put it well . . . like it's just a formula response. I know because I've called Samaritans, and it didn't feel real good to me. "I'm so sorry you're going through this." seemed to get repeated like a mantra.

In my community there is a combination crisis/warm line and they are wonderful . . . as I've had reason to find out lately. My part of the world isn't very well-endowed with resources, so I don't know how we got such a beautiful service of very committed people. But it is there. We do have a high suicide rate. Also, I think I've heard that it reduces the load in the emergency rooms. Plus, we have a good size military installation nearby. Those might be reasons, or not. Something is keeping this service going. They ask some demographic questions "for purposes of funding." I don't know where the money comes from.

The lack of someone to talk to, while feeling in desperate straights is just awful. In my opinion, when this happens to someone repeatedly, there is cumulative emotional damage.

I've had a bad experience with the Samaritans too. I complained that god didn't love me. That about ended it right there.

I'm sorry to hear that. I don't think it is an uncommon way for a depressed/distressed person to feel. I would think a good responder could use that as an opening to a more meaningful conversation. Even Christ on the cross expressed that he felt forsaken by God.

As far as I know, Samaritans is not affiliated with any religion. The people who man the lines do possibly bring their own faith orientation to the table. But it shouldn't cause them to require you to have any particular religious outlook. It does happen though. It has happened to me. I think it's a shallow kind of religious faith that leads some people to get "preachy" in their tone. Sometimes I think they may be trying to convince themselves.