Contacting too many times?

[ChildHeart]

Can you contact the crisis services too many times? I feel guilty for wanting/needing to talk to them as much as I have in the past few days. Last night I talked about my experiences with suicide and it was the first time I actually felt I could fully open up. But I feel like I need to be telling myself to stop it’s not fair on others who also need the services and I feel like im being selfish. 

[Croix]

Dear ChildHeart~

The short answer is that crisis services are there for anyone, including you, and you can contact them as many times as you want. This does not use up resources that others need, and in any case your needs are as valid as any one else's.

There are some things you might like to consider:-

With many services you do not have any notes recorded and you have to start afresh each time, which can be pretty taxing on you

Crisis services are normally there for when you are in a crisis or overwhelmed or in danger and are best at responding to such situations, that is basically what their job is. I would in no way discourage you from contacting them but wonder if they are answering all the needs you have - which I imagine often are not a crisis and a lot of the time may be down and unhappy or hopeless  (or many other feelings).

These may be better addressed in therapy. Can I ask if you currently have medical assistance? If not I suggest you start - I never improved until I did. If you do have assistance then please go back and say their current help is not as effective as it should be as you have to keep resorting to the crisis services.

In short by all means use the services whenever you need, but when feeling calm consider if alternatives such as therapy may make you feel better and not need these services so much.

Please do feel you can come here anytime -you will be welcome

Croix

[ChildHeart]

Hi there Croix, 

Thank you, that makes me feel better. 

I don’t have the option for therapy atm but I can honestly say that my reason for contacting them multiple times was for crisis reasons (in relation to suicide and some other pressing issues) and while it’s nice to have an ear I don’t think I could use the services like I have been if I it wasn’t something to that was a bit of a big deal. 

Regardless to knowing that, I was feeling bad about holding up a spot from somebody who maybe hasn’t gotten a chance to use the services once. But I appreciate your thoughts on that and so I feel better about contacting them. 

[Croix]

Dear ChildHeart~

I don't doubt you were using the services properly and I hpe now you realise they are indeed there for you as wel as others.

It's a pity hterapy is not an option at the moment and, at least with me, it was a real help. If it is a matter of finances, location or availability there are other avenues you can try.

One free one that has professional on-line treatment is the Mindspot Clinic, who offer a series of self-paced treatments overseen by clinicians. If you have a GP they can liaise with them.

Why not at least have a read of what they offer?

Croix

[ChildHeart]

Thanks Croix, I’ll give that a look. I have been given some information on some free things that I can look into from the helplines so I do appreciate that and of course, appreciate your suggestion as well. But yes, maybe one day soon I’ll have the finances to get actual therapy.