Has anyone ever called Lifeline/Beyond Blue-your experience?

[danzvtil]

Hi All

This is related to the Panic Attacks and Mental Health threads already on this forum, I didn't want to hijack them, so here is one on its own.

It occurred to me today, with all the news services bookending their mental health stories with Lifeline/Beyond Blue contact details, that I have no idea what they would say,or what further support could be offered though these important services.

I would love to hear from anyone who may be a counsellor for them or someone who has called them for any reason.

I understand some people may be reluctant to share if they have been in a crisis situation, but if you feel you can, it would be appreciated.

This needs to be a safe place for people to share, Im sure MODS will keep an eye out.

Daniel

[Road_Warrior]

The people on the other end of these helplines are trained/experienced to tell when someone is struggling

I've never called Beyond Blue or whatever but called my employer's employee assistance program and a 24hr mental health helpline when I was...let's just say, in a bad way...and they could tell straight out that I was struggling and knew what to say and what questions to ask

[Ford_The_Win]

I am a psychologist and started my career as a crisis counsellor. It was very challenging work but not always for the reasons you might expect.

Words are powerful things and if you use the right ones, it can completely alter the way a person might perceive things.

The ultimate goal of the counsellor is to help you find the tools to help yourself.... or offer a different perspective to the situation. They won't solve your problems for you but will support you, challenge some of your thoughts and ultimately help you to get where you need to be.

In a nutshell, we have our ways. That is, after all, why they call us headshrinkers and why some people back away when they learn what kind of a doctor I am.

[supershifty]

I called Beyond Blue back in August. I was getting desperate and knew I needed help from someone, somewhere. I've suffered from depression for a long time and have managed without medication for 3 years. I also suffer from anxiety - I avoid large crowds like major shopping centres, makes me want to vomit/can't breathe. Sucks because I like car shows and the like.

Beyond Blue were very understanding and listed out a series of options for me to try. Group therapy isn't for me, but thanks to their advice and Crazy Dazz's thread http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11423766 I went and saw my doctor and got put on a mental health care plan and saw a psychologist. My Doctor put me on Citalopram (20mg) for the depression and Diazepam (5mg) to take 1/2 hour before I go out/leave the house. I feel way much better now, not my old self, but more in control and on the road to recovery.

I used to be a "go getter" and a very strong and assertive person - kind though, not nasty or abrupt. I want some of that back.

Well wishes to you on your journey danzvtil, it's a long, hard road.

Cheers!

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by supershifty

I called Beyond Blue back in August. I was getting desperate and knew I needed help from someone, somewhere. I've suffered from depression for a long time and have managed without medication for 3 years. I also suffer from anxiety - I avoid large crowds like major shopping centres, makes me want to vomit/can't breathe. Sucks because I like car shows and the like.

Beyond Blue were very understanding and listed out a series of options for me to try. Group therapy isn't for me, but thanks to their advice and Crazy Dazz's thread http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11423766 I went and saw my doctor and got put on a mental health care plan and saw a psychologist. My Doctor put me on Citalopram (20mg) for the depression and Diazepam (5mg) to take 1/2 hour before I go out/leave the house. I feel way much better now, not my old self, but more in control and on the road to recovery.

I used to be a "go getter" and a very strong and assertive person - kind though, not nasty or abrupt. I want some of that back.

Well wishes to you on your journey danzvtil, it's a long, hard road.

Cheers!

I too have suffered with anxiety, mainly as a teenager, but generally have it under control as an adult.
My nature is introvert so working as a rep and being the life of the party can be draining, lucky Im a good actor. I keep myself in check by keeping busy being creative, doing my gardens and maintenance on weekends, I don't like to sit still for very long.

[Focused]

(double - pls delete)

[Focused]

I had reasonably bad anxiety a few years ago and managed it with a GP and a psychologist. Fortunately I have a health background so I was able to identify it quite early on and avoid making it worse (drinking alcohol or abusing benzos). It's far better now and I've recently flown my largest flight ever (14hrs between Sydney and Johannesburg) which I'm quite happy with as flying was a big source of anxiety only a few years ago.

The best advice I'd give is to visit your GP and book a long appointment. Mental health issues are often quite comlex and you can't expect the GP to properly manage them within 10-15 minutes.
And if you don't like them (and there are some GPs who don't like mental health), then see another one. They won't force medications down your throat and they can write up a mental health care plan which gives you 10 free psychologist appointments within a 12 months period.

I'd also recommend you see a GP in a proper medical centre and not one of those bulk-billing patient factories as they're just wanting consults that are as short as possible. So yes you may need to pay a $20-30 gap but it's far less than the cigis and booze people often otherwise drown their sorrows/anxiety with.

[cheap]

I often wonder about the people answering the calls, we had a staff member who did volunteer work for lifeline, I think she herself had fallen into depression, work standards were fading, she lacked motivation, busted up relationship, she also faced financial issues. She wasn't well respected by some of the other girls in the office. We spoke a bit about it, from what I gather she hadn't received formal training as in psychology or mental health related training. It is a tough gig no doubt, but how do the people working for lifeline listening (day after day to other people's problems) not themselves get drawn into the spiral of depression? Who helps the helpers?

[supershifty]

Originally Posted by cheap

I often wonder about the people answering the calls, we had a staff member who did volunteer work for lifeline, I think she herself had fallen into depression, work standards were fading, she lacked motivation, busted up relationship, she also faced financial issues. She wasn't well respected by some of the other girls in the office. We spoke a bit about it, from what I gather she hadn't received formal training as in psychology or mental health related training. It is a tough gig no doubt, but how do the people working for lifeline listening (day after day to other people's problems) not themselves get drawn into the spiral of depression? Who helps the helpers?

I had a good friend that went through a shocking marriage breakdown. He/we had no idea it was coming - everything seemed hunky dory. Turned out his daughter's karate instructor was "back dooring" with his wife. Len was devastated. He'd call around at my house at all hours (welcomed) and chat with me and my Mrs. Tried suicide but I got him to hospital in time to pump his stomach out from the pills he'd taken.

Len had called Lifeline a few times, he felt that he wanted to give something back, so became a volunteer councillor. He's a very kind, generous and caring bloke. He gave it up after about a year, got too attached to the problems other people were having - made his problems fade in comparison though and realised how lucky he was.

I couldn't be a nurse/policeman/councillor/aged carer - I'd get too attached and couldn't "switch off" at the end of my shift.

So yeah - who does look after the carers, or are they special people that can cope with it?

Cheers!

[Alan D Segal]

I've called Beyond Blue. They found me a local GP to go to who specialises in depression and mens' mental health issues.

[zilo]

My wife wanted to do a bit for the community and be a Lifeline volunteer.

Boy was I ****ed off when I saw the credit card bill for $660 that was paid to them for the "training" to be a volunteer.

I reckon that was really, really a poor smack in the face experience for us.

[buggerlugs]

My daughter is a councilor at Kids Helpline. Extremely busy place and the phone never stops.........

[Vincenzo]

Contacted Beyond Blue about a month ago. Finding it hard to cope with my health status and lack of company (separated for over10 years). the only true friend I have had in the last 20 years died of Cancer a few years back and her loss devastated me.

Because I stated I was not suicidal, the BB person I spoke to ended the call. So, from my experience BB can go F themselves.


Cheers Vincenzo

[Uncle Niceguy]

Well l can answer the question of "who helps the helpers" for Brisbane at least, my mum is a post-graduate in psychology doing her doctorate and as part of her externship (or was it internship?) she provided almost 150 hours of counselling to the helpers in Brisbane, it may not seem like much but as a student who did that over 6 months it was a lot, although l can't remember if that is what she chose to do or was a requirement in the curriculum, l hope this helps.

[iCat]

So many people in the world, so much loneliness... that's a huge indictment on society.

[cortinagt]

Originally Posted by iCat

So many people in the world, so much loneliness... that's a huge indictment on society.

True, but also how many amazing people there are willing to help others. The brave ones sharing on here included. I see this as a good news thread, makes up for the BS on some of the others.

[Trevor 57]

I spent a few years as a peer support person for SES volunteers who suffer or may suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it certainly opened my eyes to what stress can do to people's lives, most of what we did was educating the volunteers to be able to recognise the signs and symptoms, but we also did de-fusing's and go involved in de-briefings.

[The Yeti]

The "What could they do / say, that could help" is a common theme when people think about these services, in kind of a warpy thought situation, and its a shame, as if they did call they would find out that even just opening up to these people is a massive load off.

I've never had any dealings with Lifeline/Beyond blue, but after my dad passed away and I was unable to resuscitate him (even if it happened in a resus bed with a team around him he wouldn't have lived) I was going through a rough patch. (its funny if I look back on posts I made here around that time I now think what the hell was going through my head) things got quite bad I sort of shut down, I wasn't interested in the things that I love so much, even talking about the day with my wife and kids was just going through the motions, my wife and I were fighting about stupid things because I just didn't care (this was some months after it happened my wife wasn't being a heartless cow) so after a what the **** am i doing moment, I rang the Critical Incident Support team from an emergency service I am involved with and asked to speak with one of the guys I've known there for a while. What we spoke about was really simple and for a big tuff bloke like me would have sounded stupid to even want to talk about this stuff prior to the indecent, but I tell you it helped and helped a lot

I've had a few dealings over the years organising councilors for crews after particularly messy jobs, actually that's a stupid thing to say because it doesn't need to be a messy job for PTSD to be triggered, but have never felt the need to talk to them personally and in the olden days used to laugh them off, but I tell you in my case not being able to get dad going triggered a lot of messy **** in my head, stuff that was both illogical and unrelated to my dads passing. That first phone call was a major turning point for me, and I'm happy to say I'm doing pretty good (well maybe not compared to a normal person but for me I'm doing good )

[danzvtil]

Ive only seriously reached out for help twice, once when my daughter was a very small, unsettled, colicky baby, who screamed day and night for weeks, my then wife and I had lost it, I called the family gp who stopped his current consult and sat at the end of the phone after asking the obligatory "is the baby in a safe secure place? Good, then take the phone outside" we spoke for half an hour, about which I cant even remember, but it gave us as parents (and myself) permission to get some things off our chests.
The second was a couple of years ago, I was starting to yell at my family members for no real reason other than I wasn't coping. I went to a GP and told her I wasn't coping and felt I needed help. She explained the options with the 10 Psych appointments with a recommendation of one who is a professional acquaintance , options for calming meds etc. I found that just having that conversation was enough to help me on my way, I never needed to make the apt or take the meds.
All this proves that in many cases just getting some things off your chest can be enough to help.

[ford man xf]

I posted this a while ago, but here it is again, it really is a great video regarding Paradigm Shift: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlRK1vqcuvg

[Itsme]

danzvtil;5238046
I went to a GP and told her I wasn't coping and felt I needed help. She explained the options with the 10 Psych appointments with a recommendation of one who is a professional acquaintance , options for calming meds etc. I found that just having that conversation was enough to help me on my way, I never needed to make the apt or take the meds.
All this proves that in many cases just getting some things off your chest can be enough to help.

Agree with this comment, I felt stressed many years ago in previous employment, I spoke to my regular GP who had a good ear for listening & was able to give good advise, marvelous how the weight on my chess was lifted, I recommend your local GP any day since most will know you personally & offer a sympathetic ear or appropriate help.

[Juan Loco]

I have never actually called them. Fortunately I found help through my GP and an excellent Psychiatrist he referred me to.
Because I am already under treatment, I don't really need the kind of assistance they deliver. However I imagine that for somebody who had no idea who to call, they could be a lifesaver.
Whilst I think about it every day, I have never got to the point of suicide, but I dare say that having somebody to call if it ever came to that would be a godsend.

I do have a bone to pick with BB. Being such a quasi-government body, they are too politically correct and paranoid about actually giving advice.
I am constantly on the lookout for new ideas, treatments, medications, options, etc. And I'd have thought that BB would be a fount of such knowledge.
However I have found their website and publications to be stupendously unhelpful.
For example, they'll have a page called something like "what is the best medication for you," but instead of any actually information its just a page of banalities such as "not every drug works for everybody."
It's like a "Depression for Dummies" book only worse. It's aimed at people who know very little about depressions, and the problem is they'll be none the wiser after visiting BB.

I also have a major issue with their "ABC" (Act, Belong, Commit) ad campaign. It is wrong and destructive on so many levels.
Firstly, a person with serious depression should be seeking help from a professional, not getting their mental health advice from some jingoistic commercial.
Secondly, ABC'ing is unlikely to be enough for serious depression.
Also, if ABC'ing was so easy, a lot of people wouldn't be having so many problems. If you're alone and depressed, finding friends or a group to belong to can be very hard.
Finally, this idea of self-help simply perpetuates the cliche that its all just in your head, and you can just "think positive" and "snap out of it."

[razbarb]

bloody good thread this