Sometimes the greatest growth comes through pain, but it’s not the pain that helps me grow, it’s my response to it. Will I suffer through the experience and continue as before, or let the pain inspire changes that help me grow? The choice is mine.
—ANONYMOUS
According to Befrienders Worldwide (www.befrienders.org), “An estimated 1 million people kill themselves every year. Many wouldn’t if they only had someone to talk to. Listening saves lives. Suicide is often a permanent solution to a temporary problem. When we are depressed, we tend to see things through the very narrow perspective of the present moment. A week or a month later, things may look completely different. Most people who once thought about killing themselves are now glad to be alive. They say they didn’t want to end their lives—they just wanted to stop the pain.”
1-800-273-TALK • 1-800-273-8255
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
If you are in crisis right now and experiencing strong suicidal thoughts, I suggest you continue to reach out by calling 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255), the toll-free twenty-four-hour confidential national suicide hotline. You will reach a nonjudgmental, compassionate, trained crisis-line worker who can get you help. You are definitely worth it.
IF YOUR BRAIN TELLS YOU NOT TO
Each of the following hotlines is confidential and available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. For complete descriptions of each, see part 7.
En Español: 1-888-628-9454
Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889
“The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources for callers or their loved ones.” When you call, after the welcome, a recorded voice offers a Spanish option (press number 2), then instructs veterans, active military personnel, and their loved ones to press 1 for the Veterans and Military Crisis Line. All other callers remain on the line for the next available responder. You will hear some music, then a human being will pick up the phone.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-448-1833
“Highly trained counselors provide free confidential services twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Spanish-speaking counselors and translation services representing more than 140 languages are available. Calls range from relationship and parental discipline to depression and suicide. In crisis situations, counselors assist callers, and provide community resources and emergency intervention.” A fifteen-second message offering the option of English or Spanish is followed by five seconds of recorded music before you are connected with a friendly human being. The hotline is geared toward teens and young adults into their mid-twenties.
“Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award–winning short film Trevor, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.” This is an excellent site designed well for younger generations with a wide variety of resources for professionals as well as individuals, families, and friends. The site includes suicide warning signs and risk factors, how to talk about suicide within the LGBTQ population, ways to get involved, and much more. Programs include The Lifeguard Workshop, a “free online learning module with a video, curriculum, and teacher resources for middle school and high school classrooms”; the Trevor Support Center; TrevorLIVE; and an online forum called TrevorSpace,” a social networking community for LGBTQ youth ages 13 through 24 and their friends and allies.”
“Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only national 24-hour, bilingual and anonymous phone counselling, web counselling and referral service for children and youth.” Note: This number only works in Canada. If you are in the United States, please dial 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).
I hope this person has a twenty-four-hour answering service that you can call in times of crisis. Keep the telephone number posted by the phone. If you reach your therapist’s answering service and you are in crisis, you need to tell the person that it is an emergency situation and that you require immediate assistance; otherwise, your therapist might not get the message for an hour or so. If you do not make voice contact with a human being, call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).
This number can be found in the business pages of the phone book or by calling Information (411). Look up your hospital; there should be a listing of all the departments. You can also dial the first number on that list and be connected with the emergency room.
This is a good number to keep handy as a backup. If you feel safe with this person, he or she can be a link to finding specific help for your situation.
This toll-free number is usually listed on the first page of the phone book, along with other emergency numbers.
Important Note: I was advised to exclude 911 as a number to call when having a suicidal crisis, particularly one involving firearms or knives. Because police officers have had limited training in deescalating a suicidal crisis, it can become a life-threatening situation for both the caller and the police officer who arrives on the scene. This is new information for me. In the Crisis Plans I made, 911 was always the last option, after “Call Sylvia” and/or “Call the Psych Center.” I used 911 two or three times.