Q about crisis phone call (trigs)

Avatar for alsmith32
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Registered: 03-27-2003
Q about crisis phone call (trigs)
9
Wed, 01-10-2007 - 11:37pm
T


Edited 9/12/2009 1:38 pm ET by alsmith32
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2007
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 7:43am

I can only speak for myself. I can also only speak concerning one suicide hotline. Hopefully not everyone had a bad experience like me.

I called the national suicide prevention hotline. At the time I was in a very dark place (I'm Bipolar) and all I cared about was dying. I didn't want to die alone and I had already slashed my wrists many times so I called.

After calling the phone number they asked me to put pressure on my wrists and I refused. They started asking if anyone was home. At first I refused to let them speak to my husband, but then they said, "So what, you want him to find you like this?" It was sobering and I did let them speak with him.

They had called the police and about five officers showed up. I saw three taser laser sights on the floor and ran into another room with the door locked. They tear gassed me, beat down the door, tasered me, cuffed me and forced me to the hospital.

I am not suicidal now even though my life is infinitely worse. I can't figure it out. Maybe it is because of the medication, maybe it is because I realized how many people loved me. My husband and I are in a major melt-down right now, but I keep hoping even though it seems worse at every turn.

http://1800suicide.com/ <== Cares only that you are alive. They don't care about your emotional or physical well being. I would not call again because I was physically hurt and emotionally drained by the experience. I may be traumatized. I do not think I have fully felt the full effect these experiences have had on me.

Good Luck! May your experience be better than mine.

Lin

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-2005
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 10:26am

They would likely try to calm you down and find out what triggered the episode. If things were really bad they'd probably suggest you go to the hospital, but I don't think they'd force you to go unless you told them something like "i'm taking the pills right now". I can never get ahold of my pdoc, even though she gave me her cell phone number when I was in a crisis state. So I

Amanda

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-15-2006
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 10:54am

The first and only time I actually tried I was 20 years old. I didn't know about hotlines at the time. After I took a handful of very dangerous pills i called my friend and just started talking to her about things. she came over I made her a grilled cheese and we ate and she said she just had a feeling something ws wrong and stayed with me. when i started acting funny and finally went down she called an ambo. the only thing i remember was being taken down the steps. I remember waking up in the ER a few times but have no memory until later a day or two later. They didn't keep me they sent me home. no dr. appt. nothing!

Then about 4 years ago we had some people who would come to the house because we were having problems with my son who is also bi polar. at that time i was also struggling to just make it day to day. I had told my dh and my friend that i was going to comit suicide and when the ladies showed up for their regular meeting with us my dh told them what i said. I wasn't suicidal at that time but they asked me if i still thought about it. i told them yes but i wouldn't act on it because of my kids. one of them walked outside and the county police and the state police showed up. one of them told me if i didn't go on my own he would handcuff me and take me. I got on the phone called my friend (who is a cop) and told her what the cop had told me. she talked to the cop and told him that if she thought for a second that i wold harm myself she would have me there herself. after i talked to her later she talked me into going to the hospital for an evaulation and i agreed then they kept me there. I hated it i had a very bad experience with other patients and i will never ever go back to another hospital again.

When things started to get bad this time I called my dr. and he called me in a rx for xanax and i found this board.

Honestly i get more help and support here then i do from my family or any dr. I have a therapy appt. today and my dh is supposed to come (it's supposed to be couples counseling) but he called and said he couldn't make it AGAIN. so i'm going by myself.

my appt. is in 1 hour.

Robin

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-12-2004
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 11:42am

Hey Allie,


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-09-2005
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 8:55pm

I've called suicide hotlines twice and both times it was an anticlimax. What I mean is, when they found out I wasn't actually physically doing anything, and I didn't have any immediate plans to do so, they acted like I was wasting their time. They seemed to have the attitude that my feelings were no big deal, unless I was about to commit suicide at any second.

I called becuase I was tired of wanting to die all the time. Isn't that a good enough reason? You would think they'd encourage people to call before they have a complete breakdown, as prevention. That's what I was hoping for.

I expected them to be a lot more compassionate! I was upset enough to call them, but when I started telling them why I just got the impression that they were thinking, "So what?"

People who do those jobs must get burnt out really fast. Becuase it doesn't seem like there are many good listeners out there.




Edited 1/11/2007 8:58 pm ET by bluerains
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2007
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 9:51pm

I believe their sole purpose is to keep you alive regardless of how you feel. If you call without being in immediate danger then they probably do consider you as wasting their time. My opinion is their method is very faulty. Optimally they should refer to a local caring professional who really wants to see your well being taken care of both emotionally and physically. This would definitely save more lives before getting to the point of an emergency.

Lin

Avatar for alsmith32
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 10:07pm
Th


Edited 9/12/2009 1:37 pm ET by alsmith32
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-2005
Fri, 01-12-2007 - 1:00am
Allie, I know that some of the replies were negative but I don't want you to discout the crisis line completely. They can be a lifesaver. Yes I've had doctors and crisis workers treat me like I just need to snap out of it, but that doesn't mean they are all like that. So please

Amanda

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-12-2004
Fri, 01-12-2007 - 11:01am

Hey Allie,


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