Suicide Hotline Manager
CantSay, US
Female, 0
I supervise and train telephone operators for a suicide hotline. In addition to answering phones myself, I am also available when questions about protocol come up or if a phone operator is having trouble dealing with the emotions being expressed by a caller. Like many non-profits, we are now in danger of being shut down because of budget cuts.
I think a number of factors go into play. For one thing, suicide rates are higher in areas of economic and political crisis. For example, Greece used to have the lowest suicide rate in Europe, but since the financial collapse, it has had one of the highest. Probably another consideration is the availability of mental health care and crisis intervention, which is pretty weak in most countries. Additionally, in more interdependent cultures, it is hard to acknowledge personal needs when the normative value is on preserving balance within the social circle.
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We do get calls like that and they brighten up everyone's day. We really care about our callers and, aside from feeling good because of positive feedback, we are genuinely happy for them when life begins to improve.
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There are a ton of crucial non-for-profits that are in danger or have been closed since the recession started. The mentally ill generally don't vote, don't earn enough to pay high taxes, require a number of costly social services, and are typically unable to advocate for themselves. As a result they are easy targets when it comes time to reduce budgets.
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We will do our best to emotionally support the caller, to help them not feel alone. We will even offer to call an ambulance if there is a potential emergency. We will not stay on the phone, though, if it seems the callers is in the process of hurting themselves. It is important that callers understand that we are not there to listen to them kill themselves, but rather give them every chance to talk about their emotions and connect with a human being during a terrible time.
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Our service is completely anonymous for both the callers and the operators. Callers should feel they can speak to any operator and receive the same level of service. We do our best to be emotionally supportive of callers without forming individual bonds.
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The most common theme -- by far -- is loneliness. This sometimes stems from psychological issues that make it difficult for the individual to form social relationships. Often, though, the loneliness is a result of having lost a loved one or suffering a trauma that separates the individual from their social circle or they simply feel that their thoughts are too unacceptable to share with the people they love.
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