Anonymous #2 2d

I’ve been working for a suicide hotline for 2.5 years and realistically speaking most of them are not suicidal. Depressed and anxious? Yes. Actually going to do it? Hard no. Very few times we’ve needed to actually go physically help someone. So yes just because you’re having a bad day doesn’t mean you get to curse out and wish horrible things on people that just want to help for free. Or at the very least they could call a warm line or a regular crisis line if they are not actively suicidal

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Anonymous OP 2d

as a hotline operator i would think you’d know suicidality is a spectrum and even passive ideation is part of it

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Anonymous wing_leader 2d

Oh yeah I’ve seen some scary shit. Used to work in a mental health hospital and a nurse got a freaking commercial printer thrown at her… she was like 5’4. I get people are going through it but it’s also frustrating that mental health workers are never allowed to express their frustration with what they go through. As long as we treat everyone good at work we should be allowed to vent without judgement off the clock imo

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Anonymous #2 2d

It is. But still, they don’t have to be so incredibly nasty. I wouldn’t be mean to someone trying to help.

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Anonymous OP 2d

i mean have you ever been in an awful place mentally? it takes mental energy to filter thoughts and if they’re at a point where they’re calling a crisis hotline they probably don’t have that energy. it’s understandable for you to be drained and frustrating but i wouldn’t blame the patients here

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Anonymous #2 2d

Yes but there is a difference between lashing out at your situation vs the individual. I’m talking about people making direct threats and cursing specifically me out. Also, there is such an unfair shift in mental health workers venting about their work. As long as I treat each person good and follow each policy and procedure, it shouldn’t be seen as negative for me to vent about my work experiences. This is no different than venting about working at any other place imo

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Anonymous OP 2d

That’s terrible and I’m so sorry you’ve had to witness that. I’ve seen terrifying things and have been a victim of them as well. I used to sit in my parking lot and cry in rage when I got home. Once I shut the door to my car to go into my home, my work is behind me. There isn’t a real outlet for you to vent out your frustrations because after venting it all out, it is just the repeated cycle of you becoming the other person who you’re usually the person for.

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Anonymous wing_leader 2d

I mean I do think there’s ways to break the cycle. These are wok experiences I am grateful for and they help prepare me for other work plans I have in the future. I still intend to continue working in mental health but more so in a policy sense. People can change the system if they don’t know what happens in it 🫶

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Anonymous wing_leader 2d

So, find your way of venting it all out and leaving it away from where your safe place is. I used to take a glass jar, write everything down that happened to me that I felt was unjust or harmed me in any way. Go somewhere and smash it, sweep it up and toss it into a bin. Take all that glass, burn it and sculpt it. All that rage made something beautiful. Now I know that’s a lot and not for everyone but that’s what I did.

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Anonymous OP 2d

i think you should vent and try to maintain your own mental health i’m just saying i think it’s not realistic to expect people in crisis to be particularly nice to you idk

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Anonymous #2 2d

They don’t need to be nice, but they also don’t need to threaten people. In certain environments that is considered a crime/ verbal assault

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Anonymous OP 2d

i don’t even think it’s realistic to expect them to be particularly civil even

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