[Redway]

Originally Posted by Soldier Boy

I fully appreciate your point of view on this Redway and I think we do fundamentally disagree, my only counter is that it's unlike sharing information with just any other person, the information is as closely guarded as if it was just one and is functionally no different. I also don't think you entirely know what is or isn't shared. I'm only telling you here because it's a brutally honest and anonymous space. In the real world, no one (no one at all) has any idea what me and my wife do or don't share with each other in the most absolute of strict confidence and I imagine that's the same for most similar relationships. Just offering some insight into that.

I can also see that you have a huge amount of respect for and belief in the work that Samaritans do and I can appreciate that maybe there's some skin in the game there either personally or professionally so I'm not going to slam that too hard -- but I would caution to remember that they are people, not angels-on-earth, and not all reports on Samaritans contact are positive. Don't get me wrong they aren't as bad as the situation with some of the official MH Crisis lines, but they're not infallible in their treatment of or communication with callers, and it would be slightly remiss to suggest otherwise.

Some Samaritans are crap. That goes without saying. But one thing they all are is trained very extensively on confidentiality and that’s a constant regardless of the extent and intimacy of their relationships. People like you unfortunately likely do exist within the franchise but not everyone goes home to tell their husbands/wives everything, even if they’ve been married for 60 years and are both Samaritans. Like I said, some people really are capable of leaving their work in-house. In that position the only person I’d ever talk to about an individual call is another Samaritan and only with good reason. I’m not the only one, either. That’s how the service is supposed to operate. You’re not supposed to go home and tell your partner just-because you’ve known them for 20 years, and in honesty I wouldn’t expect the intimate details within a close friendship communicated to a partner on such a basis either. In the grand scheme of things 20 years is small-fry compared to how long some Samaritans volunteers have been with their partners for and I still have every confidence that they don’t bring anything home out of respect for the policy, extensive training and callers. Husband and wife (or whoever and whoever, in today’s world) have better things to discuss than the intimate details divulged by Samaritans callers. I find your attitude appalling, tbh.

You’re still a relatively young man. Don’t go forgetting that just now. Like I say, 20 years is small fry compared to many long-term partnerships. Relationship-wise (I’m not talking about exact details or requirements), a lot of people have been there a trillion times but they still don’t budge on information that’s best left in the office and just has absolutely nothing to do with their other halves period. Maybe it’s not always, granted, but you can’t assume everyone to be just like you. I think you need to go and have a think about certain things.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Redway

Some Samaritans are crap. That goes without saying. But one thing they all are is trained very extensively on confidentiality and that’s a constant regardless of the extent and intimacy of their relationships. People like you unfortunately likely do exist within the franchise but not everyone goes home to tell their husbands/wives everything, even if they’ve been married for 60 years and are both Samaritans. Like I said, some people really are capable of leaving their work in-house. In that position the only person I’d ever talk to about an individual call is another Samaritan and only with good reason. I’m not the only one, either. That’s how the service is supposed to operate. You’re not supposed to go home and tell your partner just-because you’ve known them for 20 years, and in honesty I wouldn’t expect the intimate details within a close friendship communicated to a partner on such a basis either. In the grand scheme of things 20 years is small-fry compared to how long some Samaritans volunteers have been with their partners for and I still have every confidence that they don’t bring anything home out of respect for the policy, extensive training and callers. Husband and wife (or whoever and whoever, in today’s world) have better things to discuss than the intimate details divulged by Samaritans callers. I find your attitude appalling, tbh.

You’re still a relatively young man. Don’t go forgetting that just now. Like I say, 20 years is small fry compared to many long-term partnerships. Relationship-wise (I’m not talking about exact details or requirements), a lot of people have been there a trillion times but they still don’t budge on information that’s best left in the office and just has absolutely nothing to do with their other halves period. Maybe it’s not always, granted, but you can’t assume everyone to be just like you. I think you need to go and have a think about certain things.

I don't need to have a think Redway we simply disagree - I'm perfectly accepting of your stance, although I'm not 100% on your reasoning for being so sure (you're taking a lot on faith in believing that you'd be aware of it if people were talking to spouses about these things? How could you possibly know what they do or do talk about in strict confidence between them at home? The whole point is that you wouldn't, and that no one outside of them would.)

I'm not talking about divulging names, addresses and identifiable personal detail here I'm talking about sharing the things that each other have encountered throughout that day and having someone who can be trusted - above and beyond anyone else in the world - to talk those things through with. The idea that "a co-worker in the same organisation" is more appropriate for that is baffling, to me. The caller didn't consent to the information being shared around coworkers either, or with therapists, etc.

If your stance is that people should be willing to take on huge amounts of other people's trauma and talk with and support them in divulging potentially distressing things and then feel duty bound to talk to absolutely no one about it then I likewise find your attitude not only appalling but flat out dangerous. There is no way to do that healthily, none, and as I said there's no logical basis for the idea that it's fine to share with another worker in the same organisation or a professional counsellor/therapist, but not with a life partner. Do husbands and wives have "better things" to discuss? If one of them has been psychologically or emotionally affected by something divulged to them in the course of their work - NO they do not.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Quantum Boy

I don't need to have a think Redway we simply disagree - I'm perfectly accepting of your stance, although I'm not 100% on your reasoning for being so sure (you're taking a lot on faith in believing that you'd be aware of it if people were talking to spouses about these things? How could you possibly know what they do or do talk about in strict confidence between them at home? The whole point is that you wouldn't, and that no one outside of them would.)

I'm not talking about divulging names, addresses and identifiable personal detail here I'm talking about sharing the things that each other have encountered throughout that day and having someone who can be trusted - above and beyond anyone else in the world - to talk those things through with. The idea that "a co-worker in the same organisation" is more appropriate for that is baffling, to me. The caller didn't consent to the information being shared around coworkers either, or with therapists, etc.

If your stance is that people should be willing to take on huge amounts of other people's trauma and talk with and support them in divulging potentially distressing things and then feel duty bound to talk to absolutely no one about it then I likewise find your attitude not only appalling but flat out dangerous. There is no way to do that healthily, none, and as I said there's no logical basis for the idea that it's fine to share with another worker in the same organisation or a professional counsellor/therapist, but not with a life partner. Do husbands and wives have "better things" to discuss? If one of them has been psychologically or emotionally affected by something divulged to them in the course of their work - NO they do not.

Once you’ve been trained at Samaritans or conversant with it at least you’ll understand. You don’t have to carry the burden alone by any means but you’re just not supposed to go home with it under any circumstances whatsoever. People are confiding in you about stuff they can’t even tell their closest friends and family, a complete stranger, and you’re then going home to tell another complete stranger who the caller really didn’t consent to knowing about their personal business just because you have an unwritten policy that “if you tell me something, you’re essentially telling my wife/long-term girlfriend as well, ’cause we don’t keep secrets”. Samaritans provide plenty of in-house support for dealing with distressing calls, whether you know that or not, and people on average, I imagine, will be more consensual to other Samaritans-allied people having access to certain information about them than some random stranger because when you’re doing your job right there’s just absolutely no way you take it home with you, and that’s a policy Samaritans have had since jump. T’opportunity to offload is there. You’d just rather go home to your wife and gossip about it, albeit with good intentions, than talk to another Samaritan. That’s the head and tail of it. I don’t know why you’re like that but that’s you.

Like I say, thank heavens above you ain’t a Samaritan. You haven’t got the right attitude. But it’s okay. People like you get weeded out of vetting process pretty quickly. Always quick with excuses and justifications for breaking confidentiality. Whatever people tell me in confidence stays with me and I can take that to the grave. I can tell you that with certainty if you ain’t tryna hear me speak for others. In the position of a Samaritan after particularly difficult calls, I’d actually use the support available and debrief within Samaritans, not break one of their core policies and take it home to someone just because I’ve been banging them for 20 years. As an isolated couple you might get away with it but in the wrong hands that could’ve had John Lennon or Michael Jackson doing town-crier bits on Beaumont Street, Liverpool 8 with a foghorn in the ’80s with bedtime inspo serving as the catalyst for new songs and moonlight walk moves. That’s how talk spreads in less trustworthy hands, even if you and your wife as an individual couple are sound.

And oi. Listen to these: https://youtu.be/P2NnVfB3fzY?si=RlKFXcw3z-HD3YP5 | https://youtu.be/fPcVucXIIYc?si=KWWmJvd2ARxnJYCJ