RDS-Lover t1_j27m3ez wrote on December 30, 2022 at 5:37 AM

I like to promote people call other, regional crisis lines that aren’t so trigger happy with calling the police or trying to get people in a psych ward when they’re looking for someone to talk to when possible. 988 is semi-regional as well, but they typically use more standardized training that is largely a “CYA” style than it is about providing support for people.

Looking up alternate crisis lines in your area is likely a good move instead if you’re not immediately suicidal. Whenever people see these posts they often think it’s a good resource to contact but if they’re not acutely suicidal it’s probably not going to be as beneficial as contacting an alternative crisis line

Cosmic_Hitchhiker t1_j2dka1c wrote on December 31, 2022 at 1:37 PM

I wish so much that I'd known when I was suicidal last year to call my local psychiatric intervention center over calling the suicide hotline.

The suicide hotline called the cops. I was humiliated and dropped in front of a hospital, that didn't even have a psych ward, with no wallet or ID of any kind. The hospital treated me horrifically, only asking me any questions after pushing ativan on me so i was deliriously tired. They misplaced an IV line that I didn't even need and then left me for 12 hours, going so far as to tell the next shift they didn't need to pay attention to me.

When an ambulance finally came to pick me up to transfer me to a different facility, they got into an argument about where I was going. No one asked me where I'd like to go, so now I also owe $600 for ambulance transfer.

I called the SH at 630am. At 1230am the following day I was dropped at my local psychiatric intervention center who got me set up with outpatient care, a psychiatrist, a therapist, and a hot meal within 30 minutes and then paid for a taxi to take me home safely.

I don't mean this lightly: I will absolutely kill myself before ever calling the suicide hotline again.

I have the psychiatric facility number saved instead.

And this isn't counting the time i called them in college after being sexually assaulted and having the man tell me I just "didn't want it to happen that way. Doesn't mean it was rape."

RDS-Lover t1_j2fxbso wrote on December 31, 2022 at 11:57 PM

I’m really sorry to hear you went through that. Negative experiences receiving care, whether it be mental or physical health, can make people want to avoid care when they really could use help. Losing your sense of autonomy and ability to make decisions for yourself while being made to do things you disagree with against your consent is also really traumatizing.

I’m glad you have the psych facility number saved instead, got connected with a therapist and other resources, and that the people there sound as though they treated you with respect.

It’s also appalling to hear how they acted when you called in during college. That is definitely against protocol these days but awful they ever thought that was appropriate.

I hope stories like these help people realize the risk. And I don’t mean this in a minimizing way as your story sounds like it was a really upsetting experience, but a lot of people aren’t as “lucky” as to get out of the hospital that quickly or end up with absolutely astronomical bills.

Thank you for sharing