Mental Health Today Crisis Hotline
4) Ann from Arizona. She is an email only volunteer. Her address is: [email protected]
Hi, My name is Ann and I�d like to tell you a little about myself.
I spent most of my life growing up in Wisconsin and now live in Arizona. I have three children; one girl and two boys. I guess you could say that I now live a happy life. It wasn�t always like that.
Looking back I would say that I wasn�t happy as a child or as a young adult. I was pregnant at the age of 16 and placed my daughter for adoption at the age of 17. I moved out with my ex husband when I was 17 and got married at 23. By the age of 34 I had lost my marriage, my mom & dad and my current boyfriend.
My mom died in October 1994 due to complications from alcoholism and MS. My divorce was final in April 1995. My dad committed suicide in January 1996 & my boyfriend (at the time of my father�s death) broke up with me three weeks after my father took his own life. I would say that by February 1996 I was a mess. I had turned to alcohol as a distraction. One night I drank so much that I blacked out and that�s when I stopped drinking for over a year. Not one drop in that years time. Turns out that alcohol wasn�t my problem, depression was. I realized I needed help and with the help of a wonderful therapist and antidepressants I came out of my depression and have come to lead a productive happy life.5) This is for Alice from California. She wants to be an email-only volunteer. Her address is: [email protected]
I am 63 year old female married for 32 yrs with three adult children (2 boys, 1 girl in that order). They are each 18 months apart.
I am one of 9 children (parents deceased) with seven brothers and one sister. Two of the seven brother are deceased (one of suicide in 1980) with the oldest brother dying suddenly (heart attack) while driving to a motorcycle race he was to participate in (1999). Death wise my Mom (1968) and both my brothers died suddenly.
My lone sister died (breast cancer) in 1987. She was 46 and they discovered her cancer the day AFTER she delivered her last child.
My dad and she (Rose) both were experiencing cancer at the same time. He died first and she died about a year later.
I have been trained in Hospice work and was mainly used for Computer consulting after I revealed that I had a Systems Analyst and Programmer background. My training helped my deal with my sister's illness. She was my best friend and the brother that took his life was my other best friend. The sisters came together in the middle of the seven brothers.
I believe now but it was never diagnosed that my brother had bi-polar disease and my sister had lots of trouble with post-partum depression and other emotional conditions.
My sister-in-law suffers from schizophrenia. She lives in Philly and I live in California. I help her through books that I read and touching bases with her on the phone and in notes, etc. She is in her early sixties now and recently resides at an assisted-living apartment that my husband secured for her.
I have never tried to commit suicide, do not experience mania and do not self-mutilate. Between my large family background and parenting experiences, I stay pretty busy.
If any one in crisis or contemplating a possible suicide wants to! write to me, I would be open to this. My husband is a school teacher (Math) and has personally prevented two students from taking their lives over the 32 years he has worked at the same high school. One was a boy (early in our marriage) and the last one was a girl (within the last 5 years). He is approachable and non-judgmental.
I was also trained to be a AIDS "buddy" through my membership in Kaiser. Buddys' were more for phone work than in-person visits. Sometimes the phone work worked because the patient had not yet come out of the closet with their diagnosis. But still needed someone to share their secret with while dealing with the eventual disclosure to work, family and friends. They could be dumped or ignored when their secret got out.
I was able to phone my buddies as I became a stay-at-home (or is that stuck-at-home?) mom.
In the past, members of my Church have assigned me some of the more difficult members because I'm not shocked by various lifestyles and histories.
I feel comfortable with either sex and any ages.6) Name: Tiki
Age: 21
College student (psychology/premed)
Experience with Clinical depression/Bipolar disorder.
Will take emails 24 hours/7days a week. Will respond within 24 hours or less. Please feel free to contact me at my email and we can make arrangements if you are feel more comfortable speaking on the phone. Please don't hesitate to contact me at any time, for emergencies or just to talk. I will be more than happy to listen.7) Kim from Florida. Email Volunteer Only. Her email address is: [email protected].
My name is Kim. I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder a little over a year ago. My therapist also mentioned Dysthymia.I am currently 22, and a psychology major. My brother committed suicide when I was 15. My little sister who is 15 has cerebral palsy and mental retardation. My older sister who is 35 has obsessive-compulsive disorder along with bi-polar disorder. My mother was diagnosed with depression. When I was younger, at about age 14, I used to self-mutilate. I would cut myself. It was a release. I tried to commit suicide twice. Once when I was 15 and again at 19. I am currently doing very well. I am going for my BS in psychology and currently work with the autistic.
8) [email protected] I am a 44 year old single mom in South Jersey. I've suffered from depression and dissociation most of my life. Although I have never been actively suicidal, I DO experience suicidal thoughts from time to time.
I am stable and have learned over the years to manage the depression. I've been on an anti-depressant for about 6 months and it is working well for me.
I have survived an abusive marriage to an alcohol abuser and an emotionally abusive childhood, as well as sexual abuse from a teacher in my teen years. I do not self injure and my only addictions are caffeine, nicotine and naps!
I am well self-educated in psychology as well as having had several college courses. I am trained as a crisis counselor on a hotline and have had extra courses through them on domestic abuse and addictions. I will be training this summer to be on call to provide legal/criminal and emotional counseling to victims of domestic abuse.
I participate in a therapist-moderated online support group and am very experienced in providing crisis support to sufferers of depression, anxiety, SI, DID and suicide. Once I was able to initiate suicide intervention in another country and keep the person attempting suicide online and chatting until help arrived. At this time I am unable to make a schedule for receiving calls, however, if you contact me by email and I am able to talk, I'll be happy to talk via phone. I also have AIM and Yahoo messenger if chatting online is better. Email me anytime - I check my email often every day.
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