The Samaritans - has anyone ever talked to them?

ognum

C_Mababejive wrote: »

OK so scenario city..
Im a single male,,,ive developed mental health issues and have now lost my job. My wife has kicked me out because she cannot endure my presence on the family home any more. She has got legal aid and had me booted out.

Im wandering the streets,dirty,unshaven,cold and hungry. Its been like this for months now and at night, i just curl up out of the way somewhere and try not to freeze to death. Ive reached the point where i think it would be best to kill myself. No one cares,no one will help.

I ring the samaritans and tell them all about it. How cold,hungry and desperate i am

Samaritan.. humm

Me..im starving,the last thing i ate was two days ago when i dipped a half eaten sandwich from a bin

Samaritan ..yes,i see

Me..im frozen to death. All i have is my clothes and an old coat. Im sleeping in a derelict house fully of druggies. They beat me and robbed me

Samaritan.. yes, i understand..hummm....


See what i mean??

Exactly my point, you have no understanding or need to understand apparently the importance of talking issues through with someone who is non judgemental, is able to sign post you to the services you need and is able to help you understand by you thinking it through and reflecting on your actions why you are where you are and what you need to do to change things.

As I said before I am not a Sam but do volunteer for an organisation and am trained in talking therapies.

What people don't need is to be told to do this or that, what they need is to understand what got them where they are and what they need to do to change it. What they do will be different for each person depending on their personality, history and knowledge, there is no right answer.

The need for the Sammaritans or other organisations is only a few steps away from all of us, I hope you never need them but if you do they will be there for you.

Person_one

Here's another scenario:

"Hello, I've just been diagnosed with cancer, my family are so upset, I feel like I have to put on a brave face and act like I'm fighting and feeling positive but I'm terrified and there's nobody I can talk to about how I'm feeling."

or

"Hello, my wife's left me and taken the kids. I'm heartbroken and looking at the pills in the bathroom and feeling tempted. My mates try to help but all they can offer is beer and offers to go to lap dancing clubs, I need to just let it all out."

You see?

There are places you can go to for practical help, but the Samaritans are a listening service.

If you really can't understand why some people find them helpful, just consider yourself very lucky and move on.

geoffky

Here is how i used them...
My sister of 18 was killed and my mother was using me to offload all her grief onto and i was becoming her go to person but the problem was i was only 20 myself and felt it was unfair and too much of a burden for me to bare so one night i contacted them and talked it through with them...
It was a very fulfilling experience that was very positive..And i acted on their suggestions..

[Deleted User]

Its as it is with everything.., you get people who are able to listen, be supportive and u get people who aren't quite so good. Many many moons ago I went through a very bad time, was very depressed and suicidal and whether the people I spoke to were good or bad, they kept me going, purely because there was someone to talk to. They also saved my life when I had taken an overdose and listened to me and when I was ready, called an ambulance. I don't think that would have happened, left to my own devices.

I think sometimes, as with any 'counselling' type service, u meet minds with somone or you don't. If u happen to speak to someone in the samaritans that doesn't seem to be on the same page as you, then politely ring off and try again.

I'm going through a slightly bad time again. But as I'm a lot older now, I know that the sleeplessness etc (hence why I am up at 5.30 in the morning) will eventually pass once I have resolved a few issues. But talking does help u figure out what those issues are. As has been said on here, Samaritans could help u to figure that out, even though they aren't supposed to be suggestors of solutions, they can help u figure out your own solutions. Or just listen.

C_Mababejive

Person_one wrote: »

Here's another scenario:

"Hello, I've just been diagnosed with cancer, my family are so upset, I feel like I have to put on a brave face and act like I'm fighting and feeling positive but I'm terrified and there's nobody I can talk to about how I'm feeling."

or

"Hello, my wife's left me and taken the kids. I'm heartbroken and looking at the pills in the bathroom and feeling tempted. My mates try to help but all they can offer is beer and offers to go to lap dancing clubs, I need to just let it all out."

You see?

There are places you can go to for practical help, but the Samaritans are a listening service.

If you really can't understand why some people find them helpful, just consider yourself very lucky and move on.

Maybe im made of sterner stuff but in those scenarios, I'd just suck it up and drive forward..take the pain..

andygb

Person_one wrote: »

Here's another scenario:

"Hello, I've just been diagnosed with cancer, my family are so upset, I feel like I have to put on a brave face and act like I'm fighting and feeling positive but I'm terrified and there's nobody I can talk to about how I'm feeling."

or

"Hello, my wife's left me and taken the kids. I'm heartbroken and looking at the pills in the bathroom and feeling tempted. My mates try to help but all they can offer is beer and offers to go to lap dancing clubs, I need to just let it all out."

You see?

There are places you can go to for practical help, but the Samaritans are a listening service.

If you really can't understand why some people find them helpful, just consider yourself very lucky and move on.

That is a great post, and really highlights what Samaritans are all about.
I had to use them a few years ago, because I felt I did not have anywhere to get any feedback, nobody I could have a proper conversation with, nobody who I could discuss my problems with.
I was seriously on the verge of suicide, where I did not see any purpose in my life - multiple health issues, unemployment, constant arguments at home, and on top of that a couple of situations where I was being used as a scapegoat as a result of other people's (family) mistakes.
I must have spent a couple of hours with a Samaritan in our local branch - I just walked in, and they saw me within ten minutes. During that time, we were able to look at things objectively, and I was able to talk to someone without being accused or interrupted. I could discuss exactly my feeling of deep anger, frustration, depression and paranoia.
At the end I felt that a weight had been lifted from me, and from that day, my mental state improved a lot. The best thing was at the end, when the Samaritan said that I could come back at any time to discuss things - and he meant it.

nlj1520

I have phoned them a couple of times.........was feeling absolutely desperate and frightened because I couldn't stop crying and didn't know how to keep living because of the problems I was facing. Both times I got a truly wonderful person who let me cry, gently talked to me, helped me calm down, checked that my son (who is disabled and has challenging behaviour) was safe, checked that I was safe and knew what to do if the situation escalated, helped me understand why I had crumbled emotionally and where to get help.
They helped me keep going at a time when I had no idea how to keep living in the face of all that had happened. I will forever be grateful to them.

lemontart

C_Mababejive wrote: »

I am lost as to the point of phoning up someone only for them to listen and hum and had every now and again without providing any useful input. I might as well talk to my Teddy !

I bought myself a little teddy when I lost my partner - he is called jo jo and when I feel bad he is with me, even when I feel ok and he is there, I always take him away with me and yes hug him hard when I cry till it eases and I sleep. No advice just something to hug as I no longer get hugs, dd does not hug as does not like being touched at all and finds physical contact difficult (she has aspergers as one of her many health issues) Some times we need that hug, yes I wish it was another human just holding me till the torment and pain passes, but that is not available to me so JoJo the ted is doing the job for the most.

I have called the samaritans in the past just needed someone to talk to when very bad. On my own totally so helped so much

duckeggblue

C_Mababejive wrote: »

I am lost as to the point of phoning up someone only for them to listen and hum and had every now and again without providing any useful input. I might as well talk to my Teddy !

Do you think then that counsellors are are a waste of time too?

Errata

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Maybe im made of sterner stuff but in those scenarios, I'd just suck it up and drive forward..take the pain..

Really? Nobody knows if they're made from tinfoil or stainless steel until they're tested.