Recently my ex girlfriend called me up, telling me that her most recent boyfriend, Nick, was being abusive to her and she broke up with him. In reponse, she broke up with him, and he was so upset, he stole his father's service revolver, put one round in it and the rest blanks, and spun the chamber. He put the gun to his chest and threatened to pull the trigger for every 5 minutes that went by if she did not apologize and promise to go back out with him. Worried for his life, and not wanting to go back out with him, she called me and asked for help, completely hysterical. I told her to call the police, which was followed by a scream from him saying no cops or else he would fire. I resorted to the only other thing I could think of at the time, the Suicide Help Line, maybe they could tell me something to calm him down. So talking to her on my home phone, I called the Suicide Help Line on my cell.

As the phone rang, a female person picked up, and asked for my name. I told her my name, and she began to read off a survey! I was slightly taken aback, as if I was going to commit suicide, I would not want to be barraged by useless question concerning whether I hurt myself today or 'yes or no' felt like ending my life. I told her to stop asking me questions, that I had a crisis on my hands and that I needed some help quick, a friend was going to kill himself. She paused for a second, as if not knowing what to do, then continued to read the survey. Pissed, I told her to stop asking me questions, explained the situation, and told her to give me some ideas to keep the guy from pulling the trigger. As if reading off a cue card for a Captain James T. Kirk audition, she told me that "Suicide...is a...permanent solution....to a...temporary problem." I said yes, I ****ing I know that, now give me some advice on how to stop this kid from killing himself. She paused again, and started to read off the survey again. By now I was livid, told her thanks for the ****ing help, and hung up.

What the **** is wrong here? The last time I checked, I thought Suicide Help Lines were supposed to HELP, not read off some bull**** survey and catchphrase - is that supposed to stop someone from committing suicide? Is the Suicide Help Line really not what I think it is, that it is NOT supposed to keep people from committing suicide, but try to find out as much information about the person before they off themselves? What is going on here?

-Jenos

Evidentally I've read and commented on this thread, though I don't remember doing so. (glares at Sian) Who's been controlling me this time?

Yeah, as you can see Yogore hates me.

Well anyway...

It turns out, obviously, the kid was doing it just to get back with her. And she finally said yes, just to get him to put the gun down and calm down. And then the next day he said it was all a prank and he was just kidding. But of course, he still was together with her again. When he told her that she flipped out on him, and I am glad. She broke up with him, and shoved it in his face that he wasn't worth getting back together with and that she only did it to stop him. She got home and told me, and I almost went over there myself to beat his face in, but I restrained myself.

But she is so completely stupid. I am ashamed I ever went out with her. She got back together with him like the next week because she said they worked things out. I don't even care anymore.

Jenos, what ended up happening? Your story leaves me in suspense!

I was a bit *****y on this thread.

Talk about reviving a dead thread.

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Screw them.

couldn't agree more myself

That's bullsh*t that they wouldn't even help you. So much for the theory of "always having somewhere to turn to talk to someone." I guess talking isn't the best idea. Screw them.

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Originally Posted by Yogore:

they don't work unless it is the suicidal person that calls. Duh. They cant tell you how to stop a person from commiting suicide. It's different with each person and you can't have a middleman. This is all common sense.

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Maybe he was just trying to help his girlfriend because she did call him for help. He was just trying to help you know.

They asked you a survey? That's bull ****

they don't work unless it is the suicidal person that calls. Duh. They cant tell you how to stop a person from commiting suicide. It's different with each person and you can't have a middleman. This is all common sense.

HonorableCoalition.tripod.com

SUicide help lines do nothing. THey sound like they haven't slept in 4 weeks, and surely never give tips for anything.

I think she should have let him do it. He deserves it for being a jerk and putting that on your friends shouldres.

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He put the gun to his chest and threatened to pull the trigger for every 5 minutes that went by if she did not apologize and promise to go back out with him

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Hah. I laugh.

I regularly volunteer for a teen helpline. We help with anything, including suicide. We are told, when we are receiving a suicide call, to talk to the person, try to figure out how they feel, and get them to convince themselves that suicide is not the answer. We are not supposed to tell them, "Don't commit suicide," because telling them is almost the same as forcing them to do something, which they don't want to hear. We are also told to find out as much information about them as possible because {a) all suicide calls must be reported to the police and {b} if they reveal something like an address or a school and their name, then it's possible to get immediate help for them. This is probably why the telephone worker sounded like she was reading out a survey. Maybe she was new because she was essentially asking the right questions but she wasn't supposed to do it "survery-style"----you're just supposed to work in the questions at appropiate times---your main job is to keep the person talking, keep them on the line, and try to talk them through their situation.

Help lines work when the volunteers are seasoned and know how to handle the calls. However, we are also told that we can't solve every problem, even suicide calls. So, help lines don't do any good unless you just want to talk about or through something and get it off your mind. Sometimes, it does help to stop child abuse, domestic abuse or a suicide or even a crime, such as burgularly (however, it beats me why someone would call a help line when there's a burgular in the house---call 911!). But usually it's just a method for someone to have someone else to talk to who will listen and help them come to a conclusion. Help lines are not there to solve problems for people.

I volunteer for one but I don't think I'd ever call one either...I can figure my stuff out on my own.

While I cannot take all that you say with complete trust, for the sake of argument, i will beleive what you said.

I have never called one and will never call one so I was unaware that this happened. I think you are right. That is really dispicable for a "suicide help line" to promote itself as a help line for people feeling like they are going to do that and to ask questions. If they promoted themselves as a line for depressed people to call, I can understand asking some questions. But if they say, "call us if you are about to kill yourself," they should not be doing that stuff. You should find out more about this place and call the news or something. The media would eat this story up.