Comment on Anyone remember this famous press conference and how it ended?
andros_rex@lemmy.world 1 day agoDepending on where you live, all 988 does is forward your information to the police. When I’ve called it, basically a bunch of questions to try to get you to trip that line, then nothing but “I’m sorry to hear that :(“
There’s no requirement that the volunteer have clinical experience. I’ve heard horror stories of people being hung up or mocked. The company that runs it (and subcontracts it to several companies that they hide, it can be very difficult to figure out who is actually taking your call) is opaque and does not listen to complaints.
988 is mostly a fancy ad campaign.
sturlabragason@lemmy.world 22 hours ago
Fuck, didnt know. Just searched up international suicide hotline and thought this looked legit.
Anyone know about any real alternatives? I’ll update my original comment.
andros_rex@lemmy.world 22 hours ago
Warmlines are usually a better alternative.
They’re not as well funded as 988, sometimes it’s hard to get someone on the other line. Which sucks. But when it comes to suicidality, the system is very deeply fucked. If you say the wrong thing, you can end up in a mandatory hold and sent out in much worse shape than you were.
This is a problem that needs to be recognized by mental health care professionals and policy makers, but is not, because it’s assumed that if you experience a mental health crisis you can not be trusted to understand what is happening. There’s an assumption that being suicidal = being insane, thus meaning that you are a voice that does not need to be listened to.