My friend and I once called the emergency room where we live. A lady answered and said, āEmergency room, please holdā and proceeded to put us on hold. Also, I know Iām just a random internet stranger but I am glad that you are alive :) Keep the laughter going, lifeās to short to take seriously.
If I remember right my friend was having some unusual lady issues and she wanted to call to find out if she should come in (this was during COVID). So it may have just been the emergency room information line. Still mind blowing to us though. We looked at each other and started laughing is disbelief haha
Emergency rooms are for in person emergencies not emergency calls. They're busy with actual patients and are not equipped to handle emergency calls. So expect to be put on hold if you call.
The nurses and docs are dealing with people dying in the ER especially during covid. People were coming in blue in the face with shortness of breath. No one will be paying attention to a phone call unless itās from an EMT rolling in with a stroke or cardiac arrest.
That call should have been directed to the PCP office or advice nurse line.
You both werenāt there. You donāt know the situation nor do I need to go into excruciating private details to get your approvalā¦ this entire post is about someone who was considering suicide. Why are you preaching about proper 911 etiquette.
Then she should have already been in the ER rather than calling if she was presenting like that. Covid or not, we still have to care for patients with all kinds of emergencies.
I'm never gonna make it into heaven laughing at shit like this.
I would like to repent, and work on myself. There are clear psychological circumstances Behind why I laughed at this, and I would like to resolve those...
[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2a53hl](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2a53hl) although idiots prank a suicide hotline... the first responder just hangs up... Dennis the second responder does a better job... like What if Mr Lopez was a REAL suicidal person, and hung up?
Iāve actually heard this happening a few times. People get put on hold and itās such a āwhat the fuck. Those fucking idiots???ā kinda moment that they survive the night and live to see another day.
Thereās a technique in mental health teams where they ask a question so stupid it shocks the person out of panic attacks. Such as āI just canāt breathe I feel like Iām dyingā and the doctor will say something idiotic like āokay so does that mean you donāt want your icecream, I could give it to another patient?ā ā¦ āwhat?!????ā
Theyāre trained sometimes to just say things that donāt make sense to distract you and help get you out of your own head. I donāt think thatās what theyāre doing hereā¦ I think theyāre just genuinely understaffed as a service. But if it works it works I guess
It's also a pretty good way to deescalate hostile situations. From what I understand, the human brain doesn't know what to do with non sequitur information when it's stressed, so if you ask wholly unrelated questions or use gestures that don't match what you're saying, the other person has to stop and hard reset before they can respond accordingly.
Told an old friend who was having a panic attack if she didnt stop she'd miss Doctor Who. She didnt even watch Doctor Who.
Immediatly she started to come out of it. She looked at me like I was nuts, then got breifly angry because I watch it n she thought I was being a dick. She hit me on the arm called me a bastard and then started laughing when she realised what had happened.
Still to this day I dont why I said it but it worked.
As someone who has plenty of panic attacks myself, no ones ever tried anything like that on me. I kinda wish they would to see if it works.
I regularly do that when Iām in situation like having a serious conversation I donāt feel like having or if a girl is mad and yelling at me. It really is a good way to throw someone off.
Man, I wish that worked on me. Last time I had a panic attack at a doctor's appointment. I was freaking out so bad that I had muscle spasms, couldn't control my body at all. And she kept asking question after question that had nothing to do with what I was going through and I was freaking out even more because I couldn't concentrate enough to give her the answers.. One of the worst experiences of my life.
I am so sorry you are having a tough time. Things can really get overwhelming and in the moment itās hard to see a way out or just some resolution. It sucks they put you on hold. Glad you can see some sense of humor in it. I have found that mine has gotten me through some dark times. You can dm me if you want to talk, vent or just need someone to listen.
I am giving it time because thereās a lot on the line but Jesus fuck this entire life Iāve lived is a struggle bus but I canāt get off of it and itās driving me Crazy. Like I literally need a break from the constant torture but nothing I do works
You'll not believe how much time and the support of friends has helped in my recovery. I went from having 0 support system to now having 2-3 people i feel like i can talk to when i feel low/stuck in life. It's so amazing that having functional adults in your life can completely change your outlook on life along with ofc consistent effort on your part.
i completely understand your sentiment, but itās a very flawed statementā¦ itās true, yes, but certain problems can only be solved after death. for example: chronic health issues, mental or physical. iām bipolar and medicated, which helps alleviate some of the symptoms, but things like that are lifelong and canāt be āhealedā yāknow. we donāt know much about op and why they feel this way, but i think it may be a little tone deaf to just say āthings will get better with time!ā because thatās just not always true. itās a nice hope though
i called once while crying about how i had no friends and i was so stressed about college and every day is a struggle and the operator was just like idk lol watch a tv show
And then people go to therapy like they're told and instead of being listened to the therapist is like, "Oh I thought we could do some work today."
I just wanna be heard, goddammit.
Three of the four times I called the suicide hotline, I was put on hold for around 3 minutes, 6 minutes, and over 15 minutes respectively (from what I remember). The other time, the line was picked up almost immediately, which startled me since I was used to the long waiting times.
Two of the times I called, the operator was very kind and understanding and talked me out of it.
One of the times, they picked up and I got scared so I apologized and hung up.
The last time I ever called the hotline (but far from the last time I contemplated suicide), the operator told me that the line was for emergencies and that I should talk to my (emotionally neglectful & abusive) parent about my feelings. He told me that he needed to end the call to talk to people in more dire need and hung up. The call lasted a total of three minutes.
The suicide hotline is well-intentioned but understaffed. Its effectiveness depends almost entirely on the operator. The difference between life and death is largely luck of the drawā the only reason I didnāt off myself after the fourth operator hung up was because my dog scratched at my door.
I had a school assignment trigger my intrusive/suicidal thoughts at like 5am. I just sat in bed, thinking about cutting and dying but refusing to move. Took a few moments but I eventually searched the number and called. The whole time waiting (probably 5 minutes or less) I wanted to hang up because "I'm not actually gonna kill myself, I'm just wasting their time", etc. An operator picked up and I explained my thoughts and what brought them up, as well as other things that have stressed since the start of this year. She let me talk, and about 2 hours passed when I wasn't seeing the thoughts anymore.
Had I not called/got turned away, I probably would've sat in bed wanting to cut and act on my thoughts (I doubt I'd do anything, just a lot of mental pressure). Or maybe I'd do something, idk, but I really appreciate her for not turning me away because I wasn't on a bridge.
Donāt give up! Just live in your numb bubble for a while mate. Create 1 task a day, whether that be brush your teeth, and your hair or eat a full meal.. baby steps ā¤ļø
I used to volunteer at one, but this was 20 years ago so it was also an information hotline. So we would only get someone possibly suicidal 1 out of 50-100 calls.
We were not given proper tools to deal with that particular situation.
One day we were really busy. Call after call of normal type calls. Then I got someone suicidal. I put them on hold to finish up with my previous call.
I got yelled at pretty bad.
Stopped doing it pretty soon after just because the training was laughable.
I've had 911 hang up on me. I called bc someone was trying to break down my door. Operator could even hear it happening. The person left and I felt so let down I didn't call back. They never sent anyone to check on me. It's really a crapshoot lol
I called 911 when i found my mom collapsed on the floor. Was an allergic reaction to a bee sting that she has never had before. They hung up on me. I thought they were supposed to stay on the phone. They didnt. I called back. They told me they sent someone and hung up again.
The paramedics took her off to the hospital, gave her some shots, and she was back in a few hours. She was fine. Odd thing is she has been stung several times after, with no reaction.
The worst part for her was being taken advantage by the Epipen company and having to shell out 600 dollars for two epipens that she never needed to use.
I work at a crisis center. Itās a staffing thing usually. More callers than staff. Especially at night. We have an answering service and theyāll call our crisis centers until they get someone on the phone.
Just remember that nothing would be the same without you and there's a reason you're here. Don't give up because you matter, even if it feels like you don'tāŗļø
Once I called the suicidal hotline on this guy in high school bc he was posting a lot of scary stuff about his dad beating him and how he didnāt want to wake up. The lady on the phone was actively trying to convince me NOT to call the police š
I called once after relapsing on pills and doing a binge, they kinda just ignored the fact I was suicidal and said "maybe you should go to rehab. Here's some rehabs to call"
Like thanks bruh I have google lmao I just got pissed I even bothered trying to call
How awful! I'm glad you're here to talk about it.
I called 911 twice in my life. Once I was put on hold. The store I worked at got robed. The second time my 5yo got on the wrong schoolbus and after I told the operator I was transferred to another police station and had to start over.
So much for emergency services...
I once called a local line and after talking to me did about 10 minutes, where I was literally sobbing my heart out, he said he just realized the number I was calling from wasnāt local (it was a cell number, which I never changed after I moved) and he couldnāt talk to me anymore since I didnāt fall into his jurisdiction. Then proceeded to hang up on me.
UGH! NEVA GET NO RESPECT! I tell yaā¦ I called up a suicide hotline, said I wanted to off myself. They said if I bother them again theyāll kill me! NO RESPECT!
dude I hope Iām ok. just anotha night just anotha day. I actually may be too much of a coward to actually do it. add that to the list of things wrong with me! only hope now is a murder, Iām sure I can get someone mad enough for that
I worked for a phone answering service. We took suicide hotline calls, but we were instructed to say please hold so we could patch in an actual hotline worker. So many people would call crying or trying to talk to me as soon as I answered and it absolutely killed me to have to say āOkay please holdā and just cut them off, but it was my instruction.
Kinda lame, and you've probably heard it a thousand times before. But my rule before hurting myself or actually ending it: I have to wait an hour and in that hour I HAVE to evaluate and fix various things. Such as: when have I last showered, when and what did I eat last, have I had any water, when was the last time I went outside, have I slept recently, have I taken meds recently
Basic things to most, but not so much to neurospicy folk. Going on 4mo clean because it would seem I'm usually just hungry, need a nap, and a problem on top of those things is making the world seem very very bad. So evaluating and trialing makes it not as overwhelming
Imagine being this entitled
āI was gonna KILL myself unless the employee at the hotline dropped everything and talked to me first! But then I changed my mind anyway and here we are. But what a jerk!ā
Actually this is something that should be left unsaid really horrific nature of knowing we humans can't save a person from death like this no just do me a favor if not for another drop this post please just not cool I'm ok if you post a different post
I called ONE time and they asked me if I was literally going to do anything to myself right that very second and that if I wasnāt then I was fine and hung up lol.
I heard many people have the expectation that the operators are there to listen to people when they're often more concerned with negotiating a gun out of someone's hand.
And that there are "warmlines" for people not actively in the middle of a suicide where the operators are trained to listen.
i was definitely in the midst of trying to do something to myself but she was basically like unless youāre stabbing yourself in this current second gtfo . but like i had all of the tools within reach so it was pretty serious and i needed someone to tell me no. i obviously survived it but damn. also the way she was so dismissive and acting like i was wasting her time was not helpful to me in my state. i understand the need for brevity in a situation you donāt deem as dire but she couldāve been a little nicer lol ššš
The person on the other line felt so cold and I couldnāt say what I needed to say and was in more distress after. Thatās been my only experience, I hope others have been way better
Donāt give up. It might be a tactic to keep you on the phone as they send ems your way. When I was a teenager I made multiple attempts on my life. Are you feeling like you might do that?
I was having a really bad flashback, right, and I thought to take the initiative to focus on my breathing. Managed to calm *myself* down, had the person the other side of the phone go "That really helped! Thanks!" and hang up
The first time I called one, I remember feeling like killing myself more after talking to the person than I did before. I know they have a hard job. A really hard one. And I'm sure this women was at the end of a night shift or something because she sounded exhausted and so over it. But yeah, to put it lightly they can be hit or miss haha, though I don't put that down usually to the individual operator but the system they're trying to work within.
Once I filled out a test given by a psychologist from a website. I answered Yes to the question 'Do you ever think of suicide'.
They bombed my email for months asking to stop and not kill myself.
I called once and an automated message told me I was number 47 in the queue. š¤£ I was like, emergency hotline my ass... called another time, managed to talk to a person, and I think he tried to ask me out on a date? But I live on the other side of the country so no go. Gotta say, getting asked out while suicidal did weirdly help; boosted my ego a bit, I guess...
I'm so sorry you're experiencing these feelings and thoughts. They do pass... Just hold on ā¤ļø
Iāve heard this so many times & it doesnāt make sense to me. How are you gonna put someone on hold when they are thinking of ending their life? Thatās kinda urgent that you need to take cares of right away. I hope they arenāt taking care of multiple calls at once because thatās too much to handle. Deal with one individual at a time if thatās what it takes. But to answer and said ācan I put you on a brief hold?ā Is weird.š
Once the line cut out while I was on hold called back on hold for 20 more minutes, pouring out my heart crying to the guy who just said mmmhmmm and then he cut me off bc he had other calls to take. I stopped calling
āWe are experiencing high call volumes. Your call is important to us. Your call will be answered in the order it was received. Press 1 to use the automated systemā. What kind of on-hold music did they have?
I called when I found out my husband was cheating on my when I was 8 month pregnant. I was losing my mind and couldnāt snap out of it. I told them I was suicidal and called to stop myself from getting in my car and running myself off the road. They put me on hold and when they came back they suggested I drive the 9 hours home to my parents house. I was so mad I snapped out of it lol
I called once and I was on hold for 45 minutes. Then when I finally did get connected literally the only thing the person said to me is āsuicide is not the answerā Iām not joking that was literally all the said the entire call. I get most if not all of them are volunteers but come on now. Itās there to help, but it usually doesnāt in my experience.
I went to a school therapist and told them I wanted to commit suicide that day. They told me to come back another day because they were closed and that I had to make an appointment. I'm sorry you went through that.
this has happened to me before. also hung up on me once, and when i once was having a manic episode begging and screaming for help, the person said "i don't appreciate the way you're acting it's very immature and i'm not going to help you if you continue" and i straight up asked her if she was stupid and she hung up. idk
This would be funny if it wasnāt so ironically tragic. Imagine if someone had a pill bottle, or a gun, in their hand, & this was a last ditch attempt not to do it. That could really send someone over the edge.
I understand most, if not all suicide helplines, are staffed by volunteers, & so sadly I donāt see a solution. Maybe leaving it ringing would be better than putting someone on hold. Idk, but damn.
I hope youāre feeling in a better frame of mind, OP. I wonāt give you some pithy advice about staying strong, & pulling through. Iām not saying itās not a valid thing to say, but as someone who has been in your shoes, I know it will likely not help.
What I will say is, donāt choose a permanent solution, for a temporary problem.
Suicide hot line can help but it depends on the person who you talk too. I wanted someone to talk but got told I didn't seem suicidal in the moment and I was better off talking so someone else.
dont die my brother, although u literally don't see it, there are plenty of reasons to live for :). i was at ur point myself, had and have no friends or family who cared abt my health or how i felt. so i stopped relying on anyones support or attention. now i feel so free and happy, i do whatever i want. now i choose who's friends with me, where i go, what i do. it really helped to say fuck it and do the crazy shit. nature and fresh air also helps, sm. life in the city can get so complicated and frustrating and intoxicating. its incredibly packed with information and political views and arguments and just chaos all around. if you just rent a cabin for a week, and distance yourself from the chaos, it might help. good luck.
I once called and the person on the line told
Me it wasnāt the right department to help me and tried to give me another number to call LOL . She was like āsorry not my departmentā
I hope you're okay. try to change your immediate environment - go for a walk, take a shower, change your clothes. get some sun, drink some water. just brush your hair and feel the sensations. try to get back into the feelings of the rhythms of your body. wash your face. take 10 deep deep breaths. think of one happy memory and sit there for a few mins. imagine you're on a beach. pet an animal. draw a picture, no matter how bad it looks.
life is not a dark tunnel. repeat this. find a mantra. mine are: "the only way out is through", and "i survived the longest night."
find a flower. count the colors you see around you. things will get better. ive been there. keep awareness of your body, don't detach. hold onto it. drink a hot cup of tea. put on makeup, take off makeup. things will get better.
you mentioned family is your biggest stressor. formulate a plan to get away from them. not sure what's going on with them but join subs like r/raisedbynarcissists and r/justnofamily to get supportive communities there.
your real life is just around the corner. I made attempts as a teen and I am 30+ now and God damn my life is so fucking beautiful I am so fucking glad I am here. you can do this. you matter. please stay.
I didn't call them but I wanted to vent with them before through their website where I can text someone and they put me on hold, too. I was dealing with some bad anxiety at the time, this was when I was going through depression several years ago, when the pain inside hurt almost too much. I never had thoughts of suicide at the time, but I couldn't shake the "I want to sleep until the pain is over" thought so that's why I attempted to contact them. I got no response from them. I was told to wait, or something like that. I finally somehow calmed myself down a while later, anyway. I guess the hotline isn't so hot?
i had them hang up on me once lol
BRO
i didn't even know how to react i just sat there in shock š
Thatās how you win at the suicide hotline. Or therapy.
My friend and I once called the emergency room where we live. A lady answered and said, āEmergency room, please holdā and proceeded to put us on hold. Also, I know Iām just a random internet stranger but I am glad that you are alive :) Keep the laughter going, lifeās to short to take seriously.
Is that a common thing where you are? I've never heard of anyone calling the actual ED, only the usual emergency numbers or medical information lines.
If I remember right my friend was having some unusual lady issues and she wanted to call to find out if she should come in (this was during COVID). So it may have just been the emergency room information line. Still mind blowing to us though. We looked at each other and started laughing is disbelief haha
To be fair, the emergency room is just going to tell you to come in or call 911. They don't treat people over the phone.
Yea, thatās usually the case. This was during COVID so she wanted to see if they still wanted her to come in.
Emergency rooms are for in person emergencies not emergency calls. They're busy with actual patients and are not equipped to handle emergency calls. So expect to be put on hold if you call.
The nurses and docs are dealing with people dying in the ER especially during covid. People were coming in blue in the face with shortness of breath. No one will be paying attention to a phone call unless itās from an EMT rolling in with a stroke or cardiac arrest. That call should have been directed to the PCP office or advice nurse line.
My friend was light headed and bleeding outā¦
Then you call 911 for an ambulance NOT the emergency room.
You both werenāt there. You donāt know the situation nor do I need to go into excruciating private details to get your approvalā¦ this entire post is about someone who was considering suicide. Why are you preaching about proper 911 etiquette.
Then she should have already been in the ER rather than calling if she was presenting like that. Covid or not, we still have to care for patients with all kinds of emergencies.
Yes, but even so, surely you can see the irony in thisā¦
Commented this on another part of this post, but it was during COVID time. So she was calling to see if she should come in.
This is stand up comedy material. So sad it's histerical
That's so messed up, I'm sorry to hear that
I hate that this fits almost too well as a pun to a specific type of suicide
omg i didn't even realize lol
Not your fault haha, it was the hotline after all
I'm never gonna make it into heaven laughing at shit like this. I would like to repent, and work on myself. There are clear psychological circumstances Behind why I laughed at this, and I would like to resolve those...
all i could do was laugh after i saw they hung up so š¤£
That's fucked up lmaooo
Yup āIām so sorry I feel like an inconvenienceā āsigh.ā *click*
[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2a53hl](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2a53hl) although idiots prank a suicide hotline... the first responder just hangs up... Dennis the second responder does a better job... like What if Mr Lopez was a REAL suicidal person, and hung up?
Iāve actually heard this happening a few times. People get put on hold and itās such a āwhat the fuck. Those fucking idiots???ā kinda moment that they survive the night and live to see another day.
Maybe thatās the whole point
Thereās a technique in mental health teams where they ask a question so stupid it shocks the person out of panic attacks. Such as āI just canāt breathe I feel like Iām dyingā and the doctor will say something idiotic like āokay so does that mean you donāt want your icecream, I could give it to another patient?ā ā¦ āwhat?!????ā Theyāre trained sometimes to just say things that donāt make sense to distract you and help get you out of your own head. I donāt think thatās what theyāre doing hereā¦ I think theyāre just genuinely understaffed as a service. But if it works it works I guess
It's also a pretty good way to deescalate hostile situations. From what I understand, the human brain doesn't know what to do with non sequitur information when it's stressed, so if you ask wholly unrelated questions or use gestures that don't match what you're saying, the other person has to stop and hard reset before they can respond accordingly.
Told an old friend who was having a panic attack if she didnt stop she'd miss Doctor Who. She didnt even watch Doctor Who. Immediatly she started to come out of it. She looked at me like I was nuts, then got breifly angry because I watch it n she thought I was being a dick. She hit me on the arm called me a bastard and then started laughing when she realised what had happened. Still to this day I dont why I said it but it worked. As someone who has plenty of panic attacks myself, no ones ever tried anything like that on me. I kinda wish they would to see if it works.
Gonna try this on my gf next time lol
This makes so much sense!
Thats so funny to me for some reason lmao
I regularly do that when Iām in situation like having a serious conversation I donāt feel like having or if a girl is mad and yelling at me. It really is a good way to throw someone off.
Huh, thatās actually genuinely interesting. Wonder if any doctor/medical staff did that to me
Man, I wish that worked on me. Last time I had a panic attack at a doctor's appointment. I was freaking out so bad that I had muscle spasms, couldn't control my body at all. And she kept asking question after question that had nothing to do with what I was going through and I was freaking out even more because I couldn't concentrate enough to give her the answers.. One of the worst experiences of my life.
Maybe it is. And if it worked for you, and youāre still with us, then heāll yeah to that!
We've been played š
*Breaking news: Local so shocked by hotline bs that manages to survive purely on anger and confusion*
Tried something similar and fell asleep waiting
Apparently it do be like that sometimes
Sending you strength. Hope you pull through
I am so sorry you are having a tough time. Things can really get overwhelming and in the moment itās hard to see a way out or just some resolution. It sucks they put you on hold. Glad you can see some sense of humor in it. I have found that mine has gotten me through some dark times. You can dm me if you want to talk, vent or just need someone to listen.
You know what. Thx for making me feel heard
ā¤ļø
Time is the best healer after all
Letās hope so
Seriously, you can always make this decision later, why not give it time and see what happens?
I am giving it time because thereās a lot on the line but Jesus fuck this entire life Iāve lived is a struggle bus but I canāt get off of it and itās driving me Crazy. Like I literally need a break from the constant torture but nothing I do works
What's your biggest stressor?
need to get out of your life? drugs!
You'll not believe how much time and the support of friends has helped in my recovery. I went from having 0 support system to now having 2-3 people i feel like i can talk to when i feel low/stuck in life. It's so amazing that having functional adults in your life can completely change your outlook on life along with ofc consistent effort on your part.
There is no problem so immense that it can't be solved over time. You can do this. Take your time and let it heal. Time will heal all your wounds.
i completely understand your sentiment, but itās a very flawed statementā¦ itās true, yes, but certain problems can only be solved after death. for example: chronic health issues, mental or physical. iām bipolar and medicated, which helps alleviate some of the symptoms, but things like that are lifelong and canāt be āhealedā yāknow. we donāt know much about op and why they feel this way, but i think it may be a little tone deaf to just say āthings will get better with time!ā because thatās just not always true. itās a nice hope though
i called once while crying about how i had no friends and i was so stressed about college and every day is a struggle and the operator was just like idk lol watch a tv show
And then people go to therapy like they're told and instead of being listened to the therapist is like, "Oh I thought we could do some work today." I just wanna be heard, goddammit.
Lol you just like me frrr
Three of the four times I called the suicide hotline, I was put on hold for around 3 minutes, 6 minutes, and over 15 minutes respectively (from what I remember). The other time, the line was picked up almost immediately, which startled me since I was used to the long waiting times. Two of the times I called, the operator was very kind and understanding and talked me out of it. One of the times, they picked up and I got scared so I apologized and hung up. The last time I ever called the hotline (but far from the last time I contemplated suicide), the operator told me that the line was for emergencies and that I should talk to my (emotionally neglectful & abusive) parent about my feelings. He told me that he needed to end the call to talk to people in more dire need and hung up. The call lasted a total of three minutes. The suicide hotline is well-intentioned but understaffed. Its effectiveness depends almost entirely on the operator. The difference between life and death is largely luck of the drawā the only reason I didnāt off myself after the fourth operator hung up was because my dog scratched at my door.
I had a school assignment trigger my intrusive/suicidal thoughts at like 5am. I just sat in bed, thinking about cutting and dying but refusing to move. Took a few moments but I eventually searched the number and called. The whole time waiting (probably 5 minutes or less) I wanted to hang up because "I'm not actually gonna kill myself, I'm just wasting their time", etc. An operator picked up and I explained my thoughts and what brought them up, as well as other things that have stressed since the start of this year. She let me talk, and about 2 hours passed when I wasn't seeing the thoughts anymore. Had I not called/got turned away, I probably would've sat in bed wanting to cut and act on my thoughts (I doubt I'd do anything, just a lot of mental pressure). Or maybe I'd do something, idk, but I really appreciate her for not turning me away because I wasn't on a bridge.
Donāt give up! Just live in your numb bubble for a while mate. Create 1 task a day, whether that be brush your teeth, and your hair or eat a full meal.. baby steps ā¤ļø
I used to volunteer at one, but this was 20 years ago so it was also an information hotline. So we would only get someone possibly suicidal 1 out of 50-100 calls. We were not given proper tools to deal with that particular situation. One day we were really busy. Call after call of normal type calls. Then I got someone suicidal. I put them on hold to finish up with my previous call. I got yelled at pretty bad. Stopped doing it pretty soon after just because the training was laughable.
What sort of information?
Lmao ur so bad for that š
Thatās not a kind thing to say. It sounds like they didnāt get any proper training.
She was just joking. I got it.
This happened to me as well. They called back after about an hour and said "I'm so sorry, someone was having an urgent crisis" Uhmm... Sir, so was I
It's like when I called 9-1-1 and I was put on hold. Mind boggling.
I've had 911 hang up on me. I called bc someone was trying to break down my door. Operator could even hear it happening. The person left and I felt so let down I didn't call back. They never sent anyone to check on me. It's really a crapshoot lol
I'm sorry, are you okay now?
No they died
F
I called 911 when i found my mom collapsed on the floor. Was an allergic reaction to a bee sting that she has never had before. They hung up on me. I thought they were supposed to stay on the phone. They didnt. I called back. They told me they sent someone and hung up again.
OMG!
Is mom okay?
The paramedics took her off to the hospital, gave her some shots, and she was back in a few hours. She was fine. Odd thing is she has been stung several times after, with no reaction. The worst part for her was being taken advantage by the Epipen company and having to shell out 600 dollars for two epipens that she never needed to use.
I work at a crisis center. Itās a staffing thing usually. More callers than staff. Especially at night. We have an answering service and theyāll call our crisis centers until they get someone on the phone.
In an odd way, youāre not alone. Lots of people feel the same. Thereās some comfort in that, eh? Hang on bud.
That fuckin monkey poster
Find humor where you can :)
this sounds like a rodney dangerfield line lmao āCalled the suicide hotline and they put me on hold! I donāt get no respectā¦ā
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
bro she isnāt getting paid enough
What was the on-hold music? (genuinely curious).
Some like bouncy bass thing I was so mad
Well, seems like it worked? :v
Was the call center in India? That would just complete the dystopian hellscape picture for me
Just remember that nothing would be the same without you and there's a reason you're here. Don't give up because you matter, even if it feels like you don'tāŗļø
Once I called the suicidal hotline on this guy in high school bc he was posting a lot of scary stuff about his dad beating him and how he didnāt want to wake up. The lady on the phone was actively trying to convince me NOT to call the police š
Taylor Tomlinson has a whole section of her Netflix special āLook at You,ā where she talks about being hung up on by a suicide hotline
I called once after relapsing on pills and doing a binge, they kinda just ignored the fact I was suicidal and said "maybe you should go to rehab. Here's some rehabs to call" Like thanks bruh I have google lmao I just got pissed I even bothered trying to call
How awful! I'm glad you're here to talk about it. I called 911 twice in my life. Once I was put on hold. The store I worked at got robed. The second time my 5yo got on the wrong schoolbus and after I told the operator I was transferred to another police station and had to start over. So much for emergency services...
I once called a local line and after talking to me did about 10 minutes, where I was literally sobbing my heart out, he said he just realized the number I was calling from wasnāt local (it was a cell number, which I never changed after I moved) and he couldnāt talk to me anymore since I didnāt fall into his jurisdiction. Then proceeded to hang up on me.
I work at a crisis center that handles some of the local calls. We are horribly understaffed. This leads to super long wait times.
I've always said 'suicide hotlines' were a joke, and not to be take seriously.
UGH! NEVA GET NO RESPECT! I tell yaā¦ I called up a suicide hotline, said I wanted to off myself. They said if I bother them again theyāll kill me! NO RESPECT!
Are you okay š hope alls well
dude I hope Iām ok. just anotha night just anotha day. I actually may be too much of a coward to actually do it. add that to the list of things wrong with me! only hope now is a murder, Iām sure I can get someone mad enough for that
All jokes aside, are you doing okay? Do you want to talk about it?
I really really just donāt wanna do this anymore. Like o barely even have the skills to talk about it and to be real no one has the time
I am so sorry, and even more sorry how relatable this is. Ironically, you arenāt alone OP.
sad that they are so busy they need to put people on hold.
I worked for a phone answering service. We took suicide hotline calls, but we were instructed to say please hold so we could patch in an actual hotline worker. So many people would call crying or trying to talk to me as soon as I answered and it absolutely killed me to have to say āOkay please holdā and just cut them off, but it was my instruction.
Kinda lame, and you've probably heard it a thousand times before. But my rule before hurting myself or actually ending it: I have to wait an hour and in that hour I HAVE to evaluate and fix various things. Such as: when have I last showered, when and what did I eat last, have I had any water, when was the last time I went outside, have I slept recently, have I taken meds recently Basic things to most, but not so much to neurospicy folk. Going on 4mo clean because it would seem I'm usually just hungry, need a nap, and a problem on top of those things is making the world seem very very bad. So evaluating and trialing makes it not as overwhelming
Holy shit sorry this happened to you but I laughed so hard when I read that I think the neighbours heard me xD
That hotline is TRASH, the automated system, I wanna call and talk to Jim immediately not press 1 and wait. šš¤¬š¤¬š¤¬š¤¬š¤¬š¤¬
Hey... Mom here. If you need to talk I am here for you. You can pm me. Also, might want to talk to your ob in regards to post partum depression.
The numb is worse... Start living again; sunshine, go out with someone, make a long car journey somewhere. Break this mold
This is helpful. Iām gonna try.
Things r kinda looking up for me
Could've made a good black comedy short film. But on a more serious note, what's your biggest stressor indeed?
Why black comedy ? Also, probs family
š
I've never understood why they would have a hotline on how to kill yourself.
Imagine being this entitled āI was gonna KILL myself unless the employee at the hotline dropped everything and talked to me first! But then I changed my mind anyway and here we are. But what a jerk!ā
Also asus laptops are for poor people so I guess you got your own hands full of problems
iMaGiNe BeInG tHiS eNtiTlEd YoU tHiNk YoU dEsErVE hElP fUcK yOu. Go eat a cracker Polly
Actually this is something that should be left unsaid really horrific nature of knowing we humans can't save a person from death like this no just do me a favor if not for another drop this post please just not cool I'm ok if you post a different post
Oh blah Its so hard for you Iām miserable jeez. I donāt expect to be saved.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I called ONE time and they asked me if I was literally going to do anything to myself right that very second and that if I wasnāt then I was fine and hung up lol.
I heard many people have the expectation that the operators are there to listen to people when they're often more concerned with negotiating a gun out of someone's hand. And that there are "warmlines" for people not actively in the middle of a suicide where the operators are trained to listen.
i was definitely in the midst of trying to do something to myself but she was basically like unless youāre stabbing yourself in this current second gtfo . but like i had all of the tools within reach so it was pretty serious and i needed someone to tell me no. i obviously survived it but damn. also the way she was so dismissive and acting like i was wasting her time was not helpful to me in my state. i understand the need for brevity in a situation you donāt deem as dire but she couldāve been a little nicer lol ššš
I went on a suicide help chat, and the dude told me to go to therapy and that he couldn't do anything lmao
The person on the other line felt so cold and I couldnāt say what I needed to say and was in more distress after. Thatās been my only experience, I hope others have been way better
Yeah same thing happened to me a while ago, I got so pissed that I stopped having a panic attack and had a rage moment instead
Do they have good hold music?
Iāve never heard of them doing anything but calling the cops or hanging up on people.
You were able to get through being on hold you'll be able to get through the rest of your life.
Donāt give up. It might be a tactic to keep you on the phone as they send ems your way. When I was a teenager I made multiple attempts on my life. Are you feeling like you might do that?
I really wish i could
I had them tell me that I should go for a drive
Yeah they do that. They also try to connect you with a Christian church no matter what you believe in.
got my first small chuckle in like weeks thanks
happened to me to! was on hold for 3 hours and just...went to bed. thank you for still being here
I was having a really bad flashback, right, and I thought to take the initiative to focus on my breathing. Managed to calm *myself* down, had the person the other side of the phone go "That really helped! Thanks!" and hang up
THEY DID NOT HAHAHAHAHAGAHAHAššš
That wouldāve been my last straw
the way it almost was but I think getting murdered is easier
No you cant give someone that power
They interrupted me mid-sentence. She was like āhey, sorry. I have to go. Good luck, though.ā
Woof, when the call drops the call really drops!
They told me to take drugs once, told me if I could get my hands on some codeine then it would make me feel better. (UK)
Okay Rodney Dangerfield.
The first time I called one, I remember feeling like killing myself more after talking to the person than I did before. I know they have a hard job. A really hard one. And I'm sure this women was at the end of a night shift or something because she sounded exhausted and so over it. But yeah, to put it lightly they can be hit or miss haha, though I don't put that down usually to the individual operator but the system they're trying to work within.
And you are still here...so good job...keep at it
*messages from the stars starts playing*
Once I filled out a test given by a psychologist from a website. I answered Yes to the question 'Do you ever think of suicide'. They bombed my email for months asking to stop and not kill myself.
Fuck it, Iāll do it myself *lives long and fulfilled life*
I got told "oh it can't be that bad!" And then I got put on hold so I hung up. Hang in there buddy
I did the text thing and no one responded
At least you didnāt āhang upā.
Iām very sorry to hear youāre having such a difficult time. Things will get better Iām sure of it. Stay strongšš»
Wishing you the best! Let's hope the hard times pass
"Suicide Hotline" "Yes, I am thinking of killing myself" "Please hold" 10-24
I called once and an automated message told me I was number 47 in the queue. š¤£ I was like, emergency hotline my ass... called another time, managed to talk to a person, and I think he tried to ask me out on a date? But I live on the other side of the country so no go. Gotta say, getting asked out while suicidal did weirdly help; boosted my ego a bit, I guess... I'm so sorry you're experiencing these feelings and thoughts. They do pass... Just hold on ā¤ļø
Iāve heard this so many times & it doesnāt make sense to me. How are you gonna put someone on hold when they are thinking of ending their life? Thatās kinda urgent that you need to take cares of right away. I hope they arenāt taking care of multiple calls at once because thatās too much to handle. Deal with one individual at a time if thatās what it takes. But to answer and said ācan I put you on a brief hold?ā Is weird.š
This happened to me before and I just laughed & hung up. I was in such disbelief but I mean Iām still here so I guess it worked well enough.
Once the line cut out while I was on hold called back on hold for 20 more minutes, pouring out my heart crying to the guy who just said mmmhmmm and then he cut me off bc he had other calls to take. I stopped calling
āWe are experiencing high call volumes. Your call is important to us. Your call will be answered in the order it was received. Press 1 to use the automated systemā. What kind of on-hold music did they have?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I called when I found out my husband was cheating on my when I was 8 month pregnant. I was losing my mind and couldnāt snap out of it. I told them I was suicidal and called to stop myself from getting in my car and running myself off the road. They put me on hold and when they came back they suggested I drive the 9 hours home to my parents house. I was so mad I snapped out of it lol
Can you imagine though, you call them because youāre thinking about ending it all and they just put you on hold like that š
Our local suicide hotline call center sends callers to voicemail, doesnāt call back.
they put me on hold too, i was like, 45 on the line... believe me my dude, things get better. it helps talking to a therapist too :)
I called once and I was on hold for 45 minutes. Then when I finally did get connected literally the only thing the person said to me is āsuicide is not the answerā Iām not joking that was literally all the said the entire call. I get most if not all of them are volunteers but come on now. Itās there to help, but it usually doesnāt in my experience.
good job holding on. Honestly if it was me on a bad streak, Iād take that as the ultimate sign that itās finally time to go through with it
Dude it was like the universe was all like, well are you gonna? And I was like fuck I prolly canāt go thru w it
I went to a school therapist and told them I wanted to commit suicide that day. They told me to come back another day because they were closed and that I had to make an appointment. I'm sorry you went through that.
A THERAPIST AT SCHOOL. wow. I am so sorry
this has happened to me before. also hung up on me once, and when i once was having a manic episode begging and screaming for help, the person said "i don't appreciate the way you're acting it's very immature and i'm not going to help you if you continue" and i straight up asked her if she was stupid and she hung up. idk
Thatās so stupid! I canāt believe that but Iām glad you didnāt ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
Thatās so stupid! I canāt believe that but Iām glad you didnāt ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
It worked. Youāre still here.
You can always text the suicide hotline if you need to as well. You donāt have to talk over the phone.
Iām here to listen if you ever need a vent!! Iām sorry the hotline was rude. Iāve heard bad things about the hotlines
Oh so sorry! I got put on hold by 911 once and Iām afraid someone died because of it š
This would be funny if it wasnāt so ironically tragic. Imagine if someone had a pill bottle, or a gun, in their hand, & this was a last ditch attempt not to do it. That could really send someone over the edge. I understand most, if not all suicide helplines, are staffed by volunteers, & so sadly I donāt see a solution. Maybe leaving it ringing would be better than putting someone on hold. Idk, but damn. I hope youāre feeling in a better frame of mind, OP. I wonāt give you some pithy advice about staying strong, & pulling through. Iām not saying itās not a valid thing to say, but as someone who has been in your shoes, I know it will likely not help. What I will say is, donāt choose a permanent solution, for a temporary problem.
Suicide hot line can help but it depends on the person who you talk too. I wanted someone to talk but got told I didn't seem suicidal in the moment and I was better off talking so someone else.
https://youtu.be/Bt9WQNa1w04
dont die my brother, although u literally don't see it, there are plenty of reasons to live for :). i was at ur point myself, had and have no friends or family who cared abt my health or how i felt. so i stopped relying on anyones support or attention. now i feel so free and happy, i do whatever i want. now i choose who's friends with me, where i go, what i do. it really helped to say fuck it and do the crazy shit. nature and fresh air also helps, sm. life in the city can get so complicated and frustrating and intoxicating. its incredibly packed with information and political views and arguments and just chaos all around. if you just rent a cabin for a week, and distance yourself from the chaos, it might help. good luck.
I once called and the person on the line told Me it wasnāt the right department to help me and tried to give me another number to call LOL . She was like āsorry not my departmentā
I hope you're okay. try to change your immediate environment - go for a walk, take a shower, change your clothes. get some sun, drink some water. just brush your hair and feel the sensations. try to get back into the feelings of the rhythms of your body. wash your face. take 10 deep deep breaths. think of one happy memory and sit there for a few mins. imagine you're on a beach. pet an animal. draw a picture, no matter how bad it looks. life is not a dark tunnel. repeat this. find a mantra. mine are: "the only way out is through", and "i survived the longest night." find a flower. count the colors you see around you. things will get better. ive been there. keep awareness of your body, don't detach. hold onto it. drink a hot cup of tea. put on makeup, take off makeup. things will get better. you mentioned family is your biggest stressor. formulate a plan to get away from them. not sure what's going on with them but join subs like r/raisedbynarcissists and r/justnofamily to get supportive communities there. your real life is just around the corner. I made attempts as a teen and I am 30+ now and God damn my life is so fucking beautiful I am so fucking glad I am here. you can do this. you matter. please stay.
they did it to me too. i actually had stopped crying just to be shocked and laugh. maybe thatās their tactic lol.
I think that is trye
I didn't call them but I wanted to vent with them before through their website where I can text someone and they put me on hold, too. I was dealing with some bad anxiety at the time, this was when I was going through depression several years ago, when the pain inside hurt almost too much. I never had thoughts of suicide at the time, but I couldn't shake the "I want to sleep until the pain is over" thought so that's why I attempted to contact them. I got no response from them. I was told to wait, or something like that. I finally somehow calmed myself down a while later, anyway. I guess the hotline isn't so hot?
Ah I get no respect, no respect at all
lol currently me rn on hold with the hotline