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Join us in our mission to prevent suicide + help save lives.

I learned it’s not so much what you say, but how you relate to a caller. I focus on bringing compassion to each call and taking what a caller says seriously and really listening to what they’re going through. It’s about connecting with that person instead of always searching for the perfect, A+ answer.

Before training I thought of giving advice as helping someone. But in reality, it’s not about ‘you should do this’ or ‘you could do that.’ We’re not there to tell people what to do. We are there so people have a place where they can be heard without being subjected to other people’s opinions (mine included).

It’s important work, it’s challenging work, and anyone who wants to try it should seek it out. If it’s the right fit for you, it will make a huge difference in your life.

When a shift is over, you feel like, yeah, that was intense… You’re drained, but then you think, okay, I was there for those people, and I was able to help them get through that moment. I can’t change their life, but I was able to listen to them, and they were heard.

The beauty of Samaritans is that it is truly anonymous & absolutely confidential. And so the people who call feel safe to say exactly what they’re thinking. They really open up because they know that about our service

Do we know what happens? Not really, but a lot of callers do call back. I think people should be able to get help in a way that feels right for them. So you know, I might might wonder about a caller after a call, but it’s humbling to know I was able to be there for someone when they really needed it.

At first it was hard to think that I’d be talking to someone and then when the call is over, that’s it. But after being on the lines and listening to what people go through, it changed everything for me. You realize pretty fast how big of a deal it is for someone to be able to talk without holding back. And my concerns and curiosities kind of fell by the wayside.

I guess the only time I might would be if I wasn’t in a great headspace myself. It’s like any job, when things are going smoothly in your own life, it’s usually the same at work. When you’re feeling stressed, or have stuff going on in your personal life, work becomes harder, too.

There’s the typical assumption that the December holidays are worse, but that’s not really the case. On the hotline I learned everyday is “September 11th” for somebody. There are always dates and events and things that happen that just really affect people.

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what will you do to stop suicide?