You know the charity that hosts phone lines for the desperate or suicidal? part of me wishes I had the time to di that, but I have friends who do it, and I think I would freak out trying to be kind and understanding to a desperate wife who wants to die because her husband beats her up and raped her children. Has anyone here tried this sort of work? HB
ANYONE thought of joining SAMARITANS?
by hamsterbait 3 Replies latest jw friends
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talesin
I worked on a rape crisis line for 3 years. There was extensive training, including legal issues, decision making, grounding techniques, empathy, safety, and many other topics. Learning how to take care of yourself is a key part of doing crisis intervention.
tal
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Sad emo
I applied and went for an interview a few years back - they turned me down - the reason? I'd told them I was a Christian so they thought I wouldn't be able to cope with some of the calls
I'm no use to them for now as I'm more likely to find myself on the calling end of the line. Maybe when I recover though, knowing how it feels to be suicidal might enable me to help others.
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Earnest
Hi hamsterbait,
I joined Samaritans about eight months ago and just recently completed the probationary period when both you and they decide if it is something you are able to do. I like the fact that it is completely confidential, anonymous, non-judgemental and free. I understand that the UK Samaritans and US Samaritans are slightly different but I'm not quite sure what the differences are.
While it is best known as a listening ear for the desperate and suicidal it is really available to anyone who needs to talk about their feelings. If you are a good listener then you'd make a good Samaritan.
Earnest