Suicide Squad

[craggy_steve]

1 hour ago, John Wright said:

It’s hard to demonstrate the effectiveness of organisations like Samaritans. 

My belief is that they are extremely effective.

Not sure what volunteer numbers are like here, how many hours they offer drop in or staff phones locally.

Indeed the locally may be a perceived issue causing people not to contact because they are afraid of being identified.

i was a volunteer on student nightline for two years at university, then 6 years at Samaritans here, followed by 10 years as a volunteer on the local LGBT helpline.i then was involved in setting up Victim Support.

Samaritans then were open for calls 2pm to 8am daily and 24 hours at weekends and 2 to 8pm for drop in. Always double staffed.

Because of a UK wide drop in volunteering, especially for overnight duties, and to use resources efficiently, there is now a national number and a complicated computer virtual exchange that is programmed to know when branches are staffed and phones available.

It works in a cascade. If the caller can be geographically located then to the nearest branch with a free phone, then the next, and so on.

So, I’m led to believe that the individual branches are staffed for fewer hours than previously, but their time is used effectively.

Returning to your question, yes, every Doctor and nurse and social worker and health care professional, and premises from which they work, should have Samaritans cards to hand out. And should do so.

I know that this happened with Victim Support. The police had cards to hand out. It upped self referral rates no end. 

I was involved in the Sams (across) at the time the national number went live. As I recall it was, as much as anything, about load distribution because if, for example, the two volunteers on duty in a branch were at a point in time both engaged then a third caller would not get a response from the local branch. The advent of the national number meant there was a higher likelihood that someone would be able to pick up the call even if not from the local branch. This didn't suit everyone because some callers were "regular" and frequently chose / wanted to speak to the same Sams each time they rang in order to avoid having to explain their problems afresh, but it probably did help to ensure that more calls got answered promptly.

And yes, the Sams are wonderful. 

[Albert Tatlock]

I was a Sam for a while too some years ago. Yes, it's an admirable organisation, but it has one fundamental flaw in that it is purely a listening organisation. What many people need is practical advice about how to handle life or particular situations.

All too many people get themselves into shitty situations that soon get out of control and they live in that bubble for so long, eventually seeing suicide as the only way out. The reality being that such situations can and should be changed, often through practical advice such as a straightforward 'dump that bitch/barsterd' or 'change jobs' or 'stop buying crap and learn to manage your money'.

The way society operates these days is cut - throat: the weak, the indebted, the fallible and the depressed and mentally ill get little or no help to improve their situations. More often, all too many businesses actually prey on those weaknesses.

[John Wright]

21 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

I was a Sam for a while too some years ago. Yes, it's an admirable organisation, but it has one fundamental flaw in that it is purely a listening organisation. What many people need is practical advice about how to handle life or particular situations.

All too many people get themselves into shitty situations that soon get out of control and they live in that bubble for so long, eventually seeing suicide as the only way out. The reality being that such situations can and should be changed, often through practical advice such as a straightforward 'dump that bitch/barsterd' or 'change jobs' or 'stop buying crap and learn to manage your money'.

The way society operates these days is cut - throat: the weak, the indebted, the fallible and the depressed and mentally ill get little or no help to improve their situations. More often, all too many businesses actually prey on those weaknesses.

But isn’t that the whole purpose of counselling type therapies, whether they be psychotherapy, behavioural, directive, reflective or just listening.

They work from the premise of not having a magic wand to wave and a solution they can deliver.

Thers a danger in advice, and lets face it I’m in a professional advice industry, that the advisor doesn’t always know what the person being advised wants or needs, and by giving advice, or practical assistance you may not make things better, or resolve underlying issues, and eventually you end up being blamed.

Isnt the entire premise to enable the person seeking assistance, support, etc to identify their issues and the options they have and to support them whilst they choose and implement, or not. It’s self directed, self realisation, self choice and self empowerment. It respects autonomy and values the person. 

Advised or imposed solutions often disempower, and don’t actually assist in change which is better coming from within, at least in matters emotional 

[Albert Tatlock]

No one is forced to take and act on advice. But citing examples of how other's have resolved shitty situations is often helpful and encouraging and opens people eyes to other alternatives.

Mental health issues though are a completely different ballgame of course.

 

[La Colombe]

51 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

I was a Sam for a while 

Lol. 

[Albert Tatlock]

25 minutes ago, La Colombe said:

Lol. 

I wish you'd rang.

[WTF]

15 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

I wish you'd rang.

you'd probably have hung yourself.

[2112]

I see Silly Billy Henderson has had a rant against police officers calling them ‘victorian’ to the Tynpotwald committee of inquiry regarding Suicide. 

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/police-response-to-mental-health-dubbed-victorian/

Yes, I do acknowledge that Silly Billy has more experience in Mental Health, due to working in the profession for over 20 years. I do find it a bit galling Silly Billy blaming the police, and in some respects it may be argued that Silly Billy could have some fault levelled at him. After all Silly Billy has been a professional politician for many years, serving on Department of Social  Care, Department of Health and currently is a member of the Treasury. Perhaps with his ‘influence’and track record he could have sorted out some of the issues sooner as compared to letting other well intentioned people sort things out.

[Derek Flint]

1 hour ago, 2112 said:

I see Silly Billy Henderson has had a rant against police officers calling them ‘victorian’ to the Tynpotwald committee of inquiry regarding Suicide. 

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/police-response-to-mental-health-dubbed-victorian/

Yes, I do acknowledge that Silly Billy has more experience in Mental Health, due to working in the profession for over 20 years. I do find it a bit galling Silly Billy blaming the police, and in some respects it may be argued that Silly Billy could have some fault levelled at him. After all Silly Billy has been a professional politician for many years, serving on Department of Social  Care, Department of Health and currently is a member of the Treasury. Perhaps with his ‘influence’and track record he could have sorted out some of the issues sooner as compared to letting other well intentioned people sort things out.

Misguided, and utterly out of touch. An interesting debate raged on Twitter, with police MH expert Insp Michael Brown from the College of Policing wading in.

[2112]

22 minutes ago, Derek Flint said:

Misguided, and utterly out of touch. An interesting debate raged on Twitter, with police MH expert Insp Michael Brown from the College of Policing wading in.

I have every sympathy with the police, and I’m sure a lot of their work is being hampered by drug induced mental health illnesses and they are acting as social workers, nursing staff, mediators and final law enforcers, when some people are in the wrong. Society has played a part in this problem along with out of touch Politicos who have ignored issues, focussed on their own pet problems. Now we as a society have to look to our ‘leaders’ to balance the books, health budgets along with policing has been cut back, but mental health issues have increased and crimes committed by people who use mental health as an excuse. 

[Mr Helmut Fromage]

Wiping shite from Spazzies arseholes for 2 decades is the only commendable thing Bill Henderson has ever done - he wears Velcro shoes and is a political leader FFS.......

[Neil Down]

8 minutes ago, Mr Helmut Fromage said:

Wiping shite from Spazzies arseholes for 2 decades is the only commendable thing Bill Henderson has ever done - he wears Velcro shoes and is a political leader FFS.......

You really are a despicable piece of shit.

[Mr Helmut Fromage]

10 minutes ago, Neil Down said:

You really are a despicable piece of shit.

Said Bill everyday for 20 years..........

[Gizo]

11 minutes ago, Neil Down said:

You really are a despicable piece of shit.

And yet you’ve just encouraged me to kill myself on another thread 

[Mr Helmut Fromage]

5 minutes ago, Gizo said:

And yet you’ve just encouraged me to kill myself on another thread 

Insert Big Norm Photo....