Weird experiences with crisis lines

I'm sorry you feel that way about the helplines @Helpmeheal - I guess they probably are training so many people that sometimes they do need to read through a script initially.

Have you tried SANE's drop-in service? They are not a crisis service, but if you ever need a chat before things get to crisis point, you can contact them on 1800 187 263 (M-F 10am-10pm AEST). Here's some more info if you are interested. There is also a webchat https://www.sane.org/get-support/drop-in-service

All the best!

tyme

Hi @Helpmeheal It’s not just you. I can relate to your experience.

I too, have been in states of distress with suicidal thoughts and not sleeping recently. I also experience scary auditory hallucinations and live alone, sometimes I don’t speak to another human for many days in a row which makes the hearing voices so much worse and there are just certain things I don’t feel comfortable calling a friend and talking about as it’s quite dark and awful for them. This is exactly what crisis counselling lines are supposed to be for.

When I’ve been desperate I have called lifeline and beyondblue recently. I have worked in call centres before so I can feel immediately when someone talking to me is aiming to “wrap up the call” and fit a KPI time limit. The responses to what I say are very robotic and “canned”, they often just repeat what I’ve said back to me, in different words. Its a very inauthentic version on “reflective listening”

It’s a very non-human, non-connecting approach type of so called counselling.

It alway just concludes in a suggestion to watch tv or do something distracting until I feel better.
It feels awful, the bored tone of voice and the pressure to conclude the call. It just compounds my feelings of isolation and being a burden. I feel worse after these calls.

It's good you find the forums helpful @Helpmeheal . I agree, there's a lot of kindness here. So many kind people.

Dimity

@Helpmeheal You are not alone I too have had similar experiences with helplines the robotic script reading and the lack of helpful suggestions is something I struggle with it is hard to feel heard when that is happening and I understand they only get limited training but it doesn’t help anyone to have those sorts of conversations and sometimes it even makes things worse which is why I am very careful with when I call helplines. I am sorry you have had that experience.

@tyme thanks for the tip. I had a really good Counsellor and she told me about Sane’s 12 week counselling service, which sounded good too,

@abigayle yeah, sounds like you had a similar kind of experience to me… I guess a lot of them are volunteers and they are doing their best, but we need more support! If only it was just a matter of watching TV to distract ourselves. It’s so tough and isolating, I find these forums more helpful in many ways, just because it feels like you get talked to like a human being, by people who seem to care. I hope you manage to find some peace and relief. ❤️

@Eden1919 … you too? It is tough. Hopefully coming on these forums feels a bit more genuine. I feel better talking to the folks on here. Unfortunately the helplines have not been too helpful for me. I just want a human to talk to.

Hi @Helpmeheal , I am sorry you have had that experience with helplines when you have been so vulnerable.

It doesn’t matter how much you post on these forums and, hopefully there is always someone to sit with you and chat.

We are in this together and we do get it. Take care my friend 💛

Thank you @Eve7 ❤️

I'd really like to see some sort of quality audit of these helplines and service improvements. Though well intentioned, they need funding a resources for this.

Most times I have called them, I have felt dismissed. My distressed minimised and pressured to end the call. I feel like the call takers are swamped at the moment, because our mental health care system is broken and they are left with everyone falling through the cracks, who are on waitlists for psychologists/psychiatrists or are unable to afford the growing costs.

Every second news story or article says to call them if the story has raised issues for you - they have a huge part in our culture. But most times waiting in the queue for an hour and having a brief, dismissive call makes me feel worse and like I have nowhere to turn.
I start having dark thoughts about these crisis lines quality going downhill, being completely tokenistic and not serving much of a function at all, other than covering legal liability.

https://youtu.be/r_DbCkp8THQ