Are suicide hotlines / mental health helplines any good? (I live in Europe)I've been very depressed for a while and i figured I might as well try and call one. They claim it's confidential, can they sell my data to someone else or call the police? (I don't have any drastic plans yet so they shouldn't need to call the authorities) Anyone who tried it, did it go okay? (I heard the ones from USA are kinda shit so I was curious if it's the same in the EU).
>>34563337Not really pertinent to your actual question, but, how do you expect that chatting a complete stranger for a few minutes will somehow help with your depression?
>>34563337I know the European ones cannot sell your information. Quality depends entirely on who is manning the helpline, some people are basically therapists, most aren't very goor at their job and will just say platitudes
>>34563337The confidentiality is extremely strict. They are quite good at what they do; but what they do is quite limited. Their job isn't to fix your depression, it is simply to keep you from killing yourself *tonight*. They can help you through tonight's crisis; but that's all. You can think of them as being like paramedics or EMTs: it's not their job to fix you, just to keep you alive long enough to get you to the people who can actually help. If you want to actually fix your depression, talk to a doctor or a therapist.
Confidentiality will depend on the specific service that you're using and their policies, but I'm pretty sure confidentiality is a big part of it throughout Europe. Definitely the case with Samaritans in the UK. Experiences with them will vary depending on who answers your call, but talking about feelings with a nonjudgmental stranger who's simply there to listen may provide some relief, but who knows in your case unless you try it out?
>>34563337They are safe and confidential. They cannot collect any personal data about you and they cannot by law report you with one exception - ir you say "I just took poison" or "I just slit my wrists and am bleeding as we speak"
>>34563354You're basically asking "If a person is having problems, how can talking to someone help them?" Which is a dumbass question.They can talk someone down from a ledge (figurative or literal)They can give a different perspective on problemsThey can refer you to local resourcesIf you are in danger of harming yourself or others, they can alert the authorities
