Just needed to be heard for a little while

whitewing

There is also Saneline between 6pm and 11pm

http://www.sane.org.uk/what_we_do/support/

jobbingmusician

No, I don't know of anything, sadly. I'm impressed that Saneline is open until 11! I've wanted to set up a London wide helpline for years, but haven't managed it yet.

It's interesting that all the research says that people who suffer from mental health issues say that a phone helpline is incredibly helpful to them, but apparently hardly ever use it. It seems that in most cases (and WaS would have been an exception, last night) knowing the helpline is there is enough of a reassurance to help people!

Waves_and_Smiles

LIR, that is probably it. I was 5 hours late with my anti-d last night and had withdrawal on top of everything else. It isn't that you need the pills so much but that your body adjusts to having them in your bloodstream and learns to operate as if they are there. If you then miss a pill your body is still reacting as if you had taken it so it can imbalance things quite quickly. This is why when you come off of anti-d's you gradually reduce them so your body can slowly adjust back again.

Go for the loud dress! Nothing wrong with a splash of colour and if you would wear it again all the better!

It is frustrating that I have no one who can call to sit with me. The law of averages says that sometimes this is going to happen when no one is with me and it is just absolutely horrid to go through alone. I am still horrified now at how out of control I felt.

The problem with calling people is that I find it hard to use phones. I have done it in the past but I tend to slur my speech when the catatonia is around and lose track of the conversation very easily. This can make things sound much worse than they are. I used to work for the Samaritans and I know if I had said that I had the pills and wanted to take them to end my life before I suffered, plus I presented with psychotic symptoms and breathing problems that they would have panicked and tried to get my contact details. I would use them if things were bad enough and have in the past but I sense them worrying and then I just feel worse for upsetting them. One of the nicest people I ever spoke to when I called was a Vicar despite me having problems with religion, he was extremely good at his job and very reassuring.

Waves_and_Smiles

No, I don't know of a service that provides that either JM. Logistically it probably wouldn't work because there would be safety issues for volunteers, I am aware that not everyone is so much as a wimp as me whilst psychotic. Someone entering a person with psychoses home at 2am in the morning with little back up is a potentially big risk, but for someone like me it would be perfect. Even in my case on one occasion when I have called for an ambulance after and explaining my symptoms and illnesses a police car arrived with the ambulance and I do understand why.

lostinrates

jobbingmusician wrote: »

No, I don't know of anything, sadly. I'm impressed that Saneline is open until 11! I've wanted to set up a London wide helpline for years, but haven't managed it yet.

It's interesting that all the research says that people who suffer from mental health issues say that a phone helpline is incredibly helpful to them, but apparently hardly ever use it. It seems that in most cases (and WaS would have been an exception, last night) knowing the helpline is there is enough of a reassurance to help people!

During the period I was really struggling I emailed the Samaritans.

They didn't reply.

I found this both hilariously funny and incredibly sad. A few weeks later I told my DH. I think this is the longest I've not spoken to him about how I was feeling and he laughed and cried too.

I still wonder why they didn't answer me though.

Waves_and_Smiles

Awww, what horrid luck LIR! They usually answer pretty quickly, you must have caught them at an unusual time. It is funny and sad, I am so glad you made it through that. They would never intentionally ignore any email, something must have gone wrong which again is just rotten luck.

whitewing

Did you get an automated response confirming receipt, LIR?

(I don't know about the Samaritans but when I emailed the NSPCC, I got an automated response virtually immediately, and then an email response within a few hours).

ETA: If you still have the original email, why don't you forward it on to them as a query? It may help them to help someone else.

lostinrates

whitewing wrote: »

Did you get an automated response confirming receipt, LIR?

(I don't know about the Samaritans but when I emailed the NSPCC, I got an automated response virtually immediately, and then an email response within a few hours).

ETA: If you still have the original email, why don't you forward it on to them as a query? It may help them to help someone else.

I cannot remember whether I did or not. I remember something about it taking longer to reply , maybe twenty four hours or something.

Waves_and_Smiles

The Samaritans don't send automated confirmation unfortunately. They remove the email address as soon as it is received to ensure confidentially, no one who works there ever see's your email address, the computer hides it.

Waves_and_Smiles

For the first time in a long time I am scared of a new episode occurring, I usually accept that they will happen and then get on with life until the nest one. Last nights was so bad that I am now scared of them. I don't know if it was because I was on my own or because I had pain which meant it focused on something specific (my death) rather than drifting anxiety but it is taking a lot longer to get over, too.

My partner is staying until 4am so that he is just there to help my MIL get out of bed in the morning so I will have company for most of the night. What is noticeable is my breathing is still erratic at times and I have a tight throat and a lot of fear. I still feel as if I am going to die and am still shaking. I am trying not to cause another panic attack by worrying about having another one, I would typically do something like that. I haven't had a full panic attack for a very long time which is another reason why it has disturbed me so much, I managed to get these under control or so I thought. I really need to calm down, this is edging for 24 hours now which is way too long. Usually my imbalances rectify themselves faster than this.

If anyone has any ideas how I can stop myself feeling completely terrified I would love to hear them. I know all the therapeutic ones such as breathing and relaxation but sometimes people with no training can come up with good ideas that no one else has suggested before. Thank you!