Suicide Prevention Hotline

Much is being said about the launch of the official new emergency phone number: 988, which is specifically for people contemplating suicide.

When i briefly contemplated suicide during my six-month depression, no special phone number would have done any good. The Depression in my head might have been very good at telling jokes, programming, driving to and from work, but there's no way it would have let me dial three numbers to speak to someone about suicidal thoughts. Especially considering it spent every minute that I was alone telling me I didn't deserve to live. 

I've always thought I got away from it by talking to my friend Carol and her husband, and that was the turning point. It's more likely the depression was letting up anyway, evidenced by the fact that it let me talk to someone, finally, even if only to tell them I was An Awful Person. 

I cannot even imagine overcoming the Voice and calling a stranger, unless it was during that moment at 3am when I'd wake up about a half minute before the depression did, and then the depression would probably hang up before anyone answered the phone. 

Maybe other people would call before the Depression would be strong enough to hang up the phone.

Comments

[KC]

Yes, I think it is more "this could help prevent a subset of suicides" than "this will prevent all suicides." But that'd be nice anyway...

[theQueen]

KC - that is a fair point.