[easygoing54]

Hi I called the national suicide hotline this morning and felt worse after talking to the guy. He start getting a attitude before I could even explain what was bothering me. So I came on here and now I feel alot better. I will never call them again. Has anyone ever have problems with them 1800-273-8255. Thanks...Gary

[CastlesInTheAir]

Originally Posted by easygoing54

Hi I called the national suicide hotline this morning and felt worse after talking to the guy. He start getting a attitude before I could even explain what was bothering me. So I came on here and now I feel alot better. I will never call them again. Has anyone ever have problems with them 1800-273-8255. Thanks...Gary

I'm sorry that happened to you. You should see if you can file a complaint.....

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by easygoing54

Hi I called the national suicide hotline this morning and felt worse after talking to the guy. He start getting a attitude before I could even explain what was bothering me. So I came on here and now I feel alot better. I will never call them again. Has anyone ever have problems with them 1800-273-8255. Thanks...Gary

When ever I have used that number I have always received the help I was looking for.

one thing about this number is you dont always get the same person every time. its manned by volunteers in every USA state and many towns in every state. So who you end up with isnt always the same. Its a random system. like 911, it routes the calls to who ever happenes to be available. that available person can be thousands of miles away from you or your next door neighbor. Sometimes you might end up with someone that has pulled an all nighter or all weekender, doesnt excuse their rough/edge in their voice and bad beside manner but helps in understanding where the person answering the call is at. Sometimes too if the caller is in a hard spot they dont always interpret the voice at the other end as being what they need....kind of like here at psych central sometimes posters dont agree and dont mesh. just life..

my point is when ever I have gotten someone on any hotline that I use or used in the past, that I didnt like or made me feel uncomfortable, I hung up and redialed and my call most times would be routed to someone new who turned out to be a better fit for me.

I also ask if I can talk to a supervisor or the on call professional at times when I dont feel the fit is right for me

[Onward2wards]

Two very important things in crisis interventions are active listening and validating how a person feels. It's not useful to validate whatever destructive things a caller may want to do based on their feelings, but making a person feel understood is critical! Obviously the person on the line that night was failing to do that. I'm sorry you had that experience.

[googley]

Amandalouise is right. The number is a general number that connects you to local crisis lines. So every time you call you can end up with a different crisis line and a different person, depending on what hours the different crisis lines run ie some are 24/7 and some are only certain hours. It isn't one centralized number. I'm sorry you didn't get what you needed from your call. I'm glad you were able to be supported here.

[Rose76]

There sure can be a huge variation in the quality of response you get from different local places that are part of the hot-line system. Different places have different philosophies. It's not just the difference between individuals.

One service that operated out of a college near me and seems to mostly use students who volunteer is great. This service is part of the suicide network and also operates as a warm line to provide empathy and referrals for anything at all you might want to talk with someone about. They give you unlimited time and will offer to call you back to check on you. To me this seems like too good to be true, but that's how they are and it seems they just get better and better.

An hour away is a service where the people manning the phones are paid. It is operated by a big healthcare system. They are unbelievably awful. I don't even know where to start. Years ago, when I went through a rough time, I was on the phone to them a number of times. The guy who seems to be the supervisor actually hit on me once telling me that he works out, is well built and could meet me for coffee. If you have trouble believing this, so do I. It has helped me to be a lot more open minded toward others when I hear what sound like preposterous things. His second-in-command is this sarcastic, impatient woman. I better not go on.

I think you have to protect yourself emotionally. If the person taking your call doesn't seem appropriate, I think it's best to get off the phone before you just get more upset. If you wait and call a few hours later, you are apt to get a different person, who might be a lot better to talk with . . . or not.

I have called the hotline and it has not gone well. Once, I was hooked up with the Samaritan hotline and when I complained about religious discrimination because I am gay, the response was "do you know who you're speaking with?" There should not be religious based hotlines.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by unguy

I have called the hotline and it has not gone well. Once, I was hooked up with the Samaritan hotline and when I complained about religious discrimination because I am gay, the response was "do you know who you're speaking with?" There should not be religious based hotlines.

question so if its made that theres no religious hotlines why stop there maybe not having any hotlines manned by any democrats, or republicans, or blacks or whites or any other controversial side?

my point is when we call a hot line its just a hodge podge of people on the other end...it could be someone who believes abortion is wrong or they may believe that blacks or whites should be the only race or even suicide is wrong...

we dont get to choose the type of person that is on the other end of the line nor that persons beliefs. All we get to choose is whether we pick up the phone and call the hotlines...

now if someone on a hotline had asked me do you know who you are talking to, (and it has happened to me) I say right back no I dont how about you introduce yourself and your location since you feel I should know who you are..that throws them off and some actually have introduced their self, I write it down and report the person to their supervisor for letting their personal views interfere with helping someone in need.

hi.

i'm sorry... some people are just, uh... i'm not allowed to swear on here, but you know what i was about to say i'm sure!.

unfortunately, where ever you go, their's going to be bad people- but i agree that on a suicide hotline, that shouldn't have happened.. and they should have never been hired to begin with- can you report them?

i had a problem a few weeks ago with someone on a UK hotline.. and i'm still thinking about taking it up with some manager or something

but, i wouldn't not call them again... it's 1 person out of, well.. it's a big hotline- it must be loads of people their.

if you need it, you need it- i'm not letting 1 idiot put me off, and i think you should do the same.

[ak482]

I did their online chat and I wasn't exactly coming away pleased either. The person on the other end seemed to give basic stock answers and I got the distinct impression she thought I was truly a sad sack because of what drove me there. She didn't exactly take the time to find out WHY it is that I've lost my will to live

[bronzeowl]

my point is when we call a hot line its just a hodge podge of people on the other end...it could be someone who believes abortion is wrong or they may believe that blacks or whites should be the only race or even suicide is wrong...

Their believes are fine. But they should not be judgemental of anyone, as obviously people from all walks of life are going to call in.

I called once as a teenager. Bad experience. The woman was very rude, I hung up instantly. Mother come home not long after, at least. I haven't bothered calling since.

I was told to "Go the shops" by one of them once, I have never called back since, It was the middle of the night.

[ak482]

Are there any alternative hotlines to call/chat? Sad to think that people who call in during their darkest points in life are being treated like dirt by someone they believe should be a support base.

[Perna]

I went to local training to be a hot line volunteer and learned a great deal. I did not complete the training and become a volunteer at that time because it was too difficult for me. But it gave me a new perspective on interacting with others and how to understand where I was coming from myself, better, what I wanted and was hoping for.

[-jimi-]

Originally Posted by amandalouise

question so if its made that theres no religious hotlines why stop there maybe not having any hotlines manned by any democrats, or republicans, or blacks or whites or any other controversial side?

Being discriminated against at a suicide hotline isn't especially nice. What if you call and they ask your skin color and then hang up on you?

BTW, this is from the Samaritans' website:

“Samaritans is there for everyone, gay or straight, at any time. We are absolutely confidential and we don’t make judgements. Whatever your problem, call us and we’ll listen to anything you need to say.”

[CrimsonBlues]

Originally Posted by ak482

Are there any alternative hotlines to call/chat? Sad to think that people who call in during their darkest points in life are being treated like dirt by someone they believe should be a support base.

Exactly what I was thinking-people who call a suicide hotline are in the depths of hopelessness and despair and they need to be treated with kindness and compassion. Whatever the beliefs of the person who works for the hotline they should not come up to begin with. A person calling about feeling suicidal should not have to deal with the social or political beliefs of the operator. I think it is horrible that some of the people who posted here have had such negative experiences in a time when they needed compassion the most.

I have called a suicide hotline twice in my life. Once I spoke with someone who sounded inexperienced and as if they were reading from a card. I didn't feel any kind of connection or caring. The other experience was helpful because the person sounded like they actually cared about me and what happened to me. And, when you are feeling suicidal it is not easy (if not impossible for some) to do things you might normally do when faced with certain situations-such as getting the name of the person to file a complaint or asking for a supervisor.

[easygoing54]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I actually went to the ER that evening and admitted for a few days. I am doing better now.

[CrimsonBlues]

Originally Posted by easygoing54

Thanks everyone for the responses. I actually went to the ER that evening and admitted for a few days. I am doing better now.

Good to hear, easygoing54. I wish you well.

[dillpickle1983]

Originally Posted by unguy

I have called the hotline and it has not gone well. Once, I was hooked up with the Samaritan hotline and when I complained about religious discrimination because I am gay, the response was "do you know who you're speaking with?" There should not be religious based hotlines.

I'm gay too, and that might of just sent me over the edge.

Sent from the pickle jar using TapaTalk 4.

[reesecups]

I don't remember exactly what number I called. I was in a motel room, with pills and thought I would call as kind of a last ditch effort to talk to someone who might convince me there was a reason not to do it. This was the eighties. I called and an automated voice said something along the lines of "if you're in crisis but not suicidal, press 1. If you are suicidal, press 2., etc.". I couldn't believe it, but was a little desperate so I punched the number for suicidal and the recording said "please enter your phone number." I hung up immediately because I did not want the police showing up. I took the pills and thought that was it, but ended up waking up the next day."

[Rose76]

How awful, reesecups. That sounds like it was designed to intimidate. I'm glad you woke up.

[reesecups]

Originally Posted by Rose76

How awful, reesecups. That sounds like it was designed to intimidate. I'm glad you woke up.

Yes. Thank you. This was not my last time doing it nor the worse outcome I ever had with the attempts. But within the last several months I can look back and now I'm glad to be alive.

[SheHulk07]

I called after only taking 7 pills, and the lady told me she would call me back in an hour to check to see how I was doing. When she called back she had sent the EMS to pick me up to take me to the ER, which was a waste of everyone's time.

[reesecups]

Originally Posted by AmyFed07

I called after only taking 7 pills, and the lady told me she would call me back in an hour to check to see how I was doing. When she called back she had sent the EMS to pick me up to take me to the ER, which was a waste of everyone's time.

Something similar happened with me once. I think so long as the intent was suicide, regardless, they will track you down and send the police.

[newtus]

this reminds me i called a suicide number and they told me i should read a book -_-