to ask if you have ever called the Samaritas?

[GlitteredAcorns]

and if so, did you find it helpful?

I emailed them many years ago as a teenage struggling with suicidal thoughts. It may have just been me viewing it through the lens of my depression, but I felt pressured to say “ok ok yes all better now thanks”.

Aren't they a charity staffed entirely by volunteers? I sympathise with anybody going through a difficult time, but these are kind-hearted people giving up their time, not HCPs.

I have and it was useful. To be fair I did get advice. Looking back I can see that it was a straightforward situation. I was in floods of tears and the advice was obvious but helped. If mumsnet had existed then I would have got the same advice here.

I have rung a few times when overwhelmed by everything, when my psydoc was away, and I knew I just needed to talk it all through with someone.

One man I got a couple of times was obviously completely out of his depth. I have a rare mental health condition that I actually find a positive rather than a negative thing, but it can complicate things. I literally just wanted to sort some stuff out by saying it aloud- he was obviously so confused, tried to minimise the abuse which therapy discussions had left hanging in my head, and told me vaguely that I'd be alright.

I had another girl who was very much a Student with a capital S, but thanks to her studenty-ness she was a lot more aware- of MH, of abuse, of everything. We had a good chat, she was very empathetic but not in a patronising way just in an 'omg that must be so much to deal with, you're doing amazingly' way. Very Student, but also quite pragmatic about 'so where do you think you'll start with (necessary tasks)? Like, at the easiest, or is there one that's more urgent?' and it felt like having a chat with someone rather than an 'oh I'm calling the Samaritans' impersonal thing.

Not Samaritans but I called childline as a child and they were awful. I told them I was 9 on holiday with my family so not around friends or extended family and my brother had sexually assaulted me and I was worried I might be pregnant and I couldnt tell my parents. They advised I go to a local Drs by myself. As if I was going to be able to do that in a strange town by myself and without my parents knowing. In the end I threw myself down some stairs in the hope that if I was pregnant that would cause a miscarriage.

yes and no it wasn't helpful..

yes and yes... I was feeling totally desperate and did just want a listening non-judgemental ear and they were very patient and kind and ready to listen.... just talking for 50 minutes made life feel bearable again.

I wasn't looking for more - and it helped hugely

They were horrendous.

I was 12, mother had killed herself, father blamed me and I felt like shit.
Phoned Samaritans to be told, "don't make it about you and don't cry it's ugly."

Phoned again a week or so later and spoke to someone else who said.
"You've got to be a big girl now, mummy has gone and you're here.

Sympathise with your daddy and accept it"

They were arseholes.

Oh and I phoned Childline too.

They told me to pray. Pray hard.

Dicks.

Yes and yes

I have, several times. It has been very varied. I've had a couple of useless types who just wanted to make vague soothing noises and I've had one amazing woman who literally saved my life - she talked me into going to a park and sitting down and chatted to me on my mobile until I was calm enough to call DH who took me to hospital and got me sectioned. So grateful for that. But they are just volunteers and I'm not sure they get a lot of training so it really is the luck of the draw.

Yes and no, the guy was hopeless.

I used to volunteer for them.
Their rules are quite strict (or they were ten years ago) as in they can't offer any advice, can only listen, so I found I wasn't able to say what I wanted to say to people which I found frustrating (also the amount of men calling to listen to a women's voice and then wank down the phone made up around 40 percent of the calls!)
However a lot of callers used to call daily and found it helpful just to have a stranger listening to them without judgment so if that sounds like you, go for it! Hope you are okay OP

A couple of times many many years ago.
First time was great. A lovely lady talked to me until I was settled.
Second time, horrible experience. The advisor basically told me to pull myself together. I remember finishing the call feeling shit.

I’ve called them a few times. It’s very hit and miss, but ultimately it can be helpful to have that connection with another person when you’re not in a good place.
If you’re thinking you might need to call and you don’t have a friend of relative to call, then call. I hope you’re ok.
The email service is good too, but only if you’re not in an immediate crisis as they can take up to 24 hours to reply to each email.

I have and they were wildly unhelpful. I needed someone to talk to in the middle of the night and they couldn’t get me off the phone fast enough.

Just the once and yes, I found it useful. But I clearly not going through the turmoil of some pp. for them, though I know that doesn't help much.

Mine was just looking for reassurance that I wasn't being over sensitive in my grief following a bereavement. She asked a few questions, made me think a bit more and then we both came to the conclusion I was not being over sensitive and rightly felt betrayed and hurt.

She was Irish too (As a pp mentioned rationality) and I thought she was wonderful in allowing me to take things at my own pace.

I was also a child when I called, severely depressed and suicidal. It helped in so much as I actually had someone to talk to who cared if I took my life or not. My DPs weren't interested, one didn't notice and the other told me to pull myself together, so hearing a caring voice definitely stopped me from attempting anything on that particular occasion.

I tell a lie. I phoned a second time months later. Took a deep breath to start talking, and got hung up on!
I ended up looking at the phone with a WTF expression....
I took view someone needed them more than me at that time and they had to prioritise.

Yes and yes.
First time got an absolutely brilliant guy who was warm and funny and talked me down from the mental ledge I was on.
Second I got a woman who was slightly ineffective, but not awful.
I am grateful they’re there.

I ended up laughing that not even the Samaritans wanted me!

My friend did, yes they were very helpful

Yes and yes, in that I was actively suicidal and I'm still here. It wasn't by any means a cure or even a massive help but it got me through that particular crisis point and I think really that's all it can do as a service. Anything more is a bonus.

I emailed them. Yes, they were very helpful.

Sad to read all these stories about Childline, how awful. They have massively improved their service imo but they have clearly let children down badly in the past.