It was me. I’ll be candid.

Never called them as wouldn't feel comfortable talking over the phone, but I did use there texting service before they got rid of it and I found it really helped me, it's a shame they don't do it anymore

Ah wonder if there's an alternative service that uses texting.

Think there is, will have a look online

Here Kev....

Here's a breakdown of text-based counselling services:
Crisis Support:
Shout: A UK-based service that provides 24/7, free, confidential text support for individuals in crisis. You can text "SHOUT" to 85258.
Anna Freud AFC Crisis Messenger: Another UK service offering 24/7 crisis support via text. Text "AFC" to 85258.
Crisis Text Line (US): Text "HOME" to 741741 in the US for 24/7, free, and confidential support.

Amazing, there's so much help out there, Thanks for sending those on Kate

Just been reading back through this thread Kev. The shout text line has been mentioned and doesn't sound very professional. Maybe try the other one....the Anna Freud one.

…:hug:..

It’s important to remember that you can always switch things up if the volunteer you’re on the ’phone with doesn’t vibe with you enough (and/or vice-versa). Obviously, be on your Ps and Qs, because there’s always a relatively polite way of ending the call, but don’t feel like you have to stay talking just-because. You don’t, and sometimes it can take a few tries to finally be connected with the right person but it’s totally worth it.

I'll second this. The time I rang my first respondent was a bit detached, no warmth or anything, I found it off putting but I wound up the call respectfully and tried again. Vast improvement. I know they have to be impartial, that wasn't it though, she just seemed uninterested. The second one, a guy, was amazing.

Absolutely. Sometimes the volunteers aren’t even bad in terms of expressing sympathy. You just might not vibe as much as you’d like to for any number of reasons. One big put-off for me is someone who doesn’t talk enough. I definitely understand, value and appreciate the power and depth of quiet listening but I still need enough of a two-way conversation. When it’s just the volunteer “hmm”-ing at the other end and not reflecting enough on their experiences, when it’s appropriate and the cap fits (I know they’re technically not supposed to tell you stuff about themselves but when it’s appropriate and relevant to the context, it does add another layer of resonance), chances are it’s not going to be a long conversation.

Tragically there are some that never give any warning to what they are going to do
My partners cousin has just lost their 14 year old girl, she hung herself in her bedroom as was found by her mum

I think it’s fair to say that I value reciprocity and resonance. In a nutshell.

That's terrible. I'm so sorry Sheriff. Devastating.

That’s horrible. Can’t imagine what that family’s going through.

Yeah, Shout is terrible. Their wait-times are ridiculously long, as much as 14 hours. At least with Samaritans it’s a matter of minutes, not hours.

..this link gives some options to call but some are listed as time zoned rather than 24 hours, which isn’t good…I’ll give the link anyway but I don’t know if any offer similar to the Samaritans…

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-...lth-helplines/

…sometimes there just isn’t any words…I can’t imagine the worlds of her family and loved ones right now or her own crisis of thoughts that led to taking her life…

I ended up dialling between them and 111/999, just for distress-diffusion, that Friday at Easter where I suddenly developed torticollis and it was no easy feat. Mouth-movements do implicate your neck and I was so paralysed by pain on the left side that I fully couldn’t walk for over an hour and was considering having the ambulance break in (my keys were upstairs and I was in too much pain to move). Gout might be painful but torticolosis is excruciating. Extremely unpleasant.

…I hadn’t heard of torticollis and looked it up..it does indeed sound extremely unpleasant and painful, I’m so sorry that you experienced it…and I hope that experience doesn’t become a regular thing…

Thanks. Just like the actual (full-blown, not just a cold) flu, and even severe Covid, for what it’s worth, to never want to experience anything like it ever-again, torticolis. For a good two or three hours straight it was excruciating. Like I said in another post, I could barely talk (since jaw and mouth in movement are both somewhat hinging on the activity of your neck) and was considering having the paramedics break in to come and get me because my keys were upstairs and I was downstairs and practically unable to stand up, let-alone go upstairs. Mind you, I was still given a two-hour-wait ETA before one of the call-handlers called off the ambulance and convinced me it was just a trapped nerve (which the out-of-hours GP more specifically labelled as torticolis).

I'm very close tonight..:skull:

…it sounds very horrendous both in pain volume and also quite terrifying, especially for anyone who is alone as well…that adds another layer of terrifying…has the GP/medical team said the cause and whether it’s something that’s going to be prone to re-occurring…?…

We think it was just a one-off attack, thank God for that. But anything can happen, really, can’t it? And I wouldn’t want it to happen while I’m swimming, on a roller-coaster, driving or in a meeting.

…I know that it’s easier said than done but try not to think any further than it was an horrendous experience but it’s over now and it can go in the past…don’t let those anxiety/fear monsters have any control over you worrying beyond moving on from it…:hug:..