A Text to Save a Life

Mar 30,2016

            In the past there have been various hotlines to answer the calls of individuals’ in crisis. These problems could range from suicidal thoughts to questioning their own sexuality. Not being alone is important in a person’s ability to heal and get through the mental struggles that sometimes are bigger than just their own self. Hotlines such as SuicideHotline.com give a person on the other side of the phone to listen and offer advice. Hotlines are 24/7 and are helpful for those that have the courage to speak up and call the hotline.

            What if the person doesn’t have the courage to call and speak to someone? They may have social anxiety that prevents them from talking to someone over the phone. “Social anxiety is the fear of being judged and evaluated negatively by other people, leading to feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, embarrassment, humiliation, and depression” (Richards 1). Additionally, shame and other attributes that could make it hard to actually pick up the phone and call. Recently, there’s a new hotline that’s been gaining popularity with teens and young adults. It goes by the name of Crisis Text Line or CTL.

            This hotline has various volunteer and supervisors on an online platform to help those that message in from their cell phones. This allows young people or even adults to text in during school or on a lunch break, and then text back in at any point instead of phone call that is all at once. The founder of Crisis Text Line spoke up on a TED talk expressing the need for a way for those too afraid to speak to finally get the help they deserve.

            Personally, I started to volunteer for this organization in October of last year and it’s been growing so much since then. There is a platform with so many amazing people that are ready to help the people that text in. The messages that are sent back and forth are about 140 characters long, and it takes a certain regimen of training to learn how to text while helping cool down the situation. There is an application for anyone of age to volunteer and help out on the platform. After the application is accepted there is training that will end in a final evaluation that determines if the individual is ready for platform and real people texting in.

            Crisis Text Line has a community that is centered not only for helping others but also focuses on the idea of self-care. Before anything else, everyone I’ve met or seen in the group are some of kindest people I’ve ever come into contact with. The organization has 15,273,980 messages processed to date and is constantly growing helping those around the entire nation. The number to text Crisis Text Line is 741-741 and text START or what the problem is at hand.

            It is a non-profit organization that takes in donations, and even though it does not offer people to continue texting in to replace therapy, but rather offers advice and to help calm down the situation. Finally, with data being in mind on a cell phone, there are standard texting messaging rates. In summary, Crisis Text Line is available to help cool down a situation and offer an ear to listen and action plan.

 

References:

The CTL Founder TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_lublin_the_heartbreaking_text_that_inspired_a_crisis_help_line

Crisis Text Line Website:

http://www.crisistextline.org/

Richards, T. A. (2013). What is Social Anxiety? Retrieved March 30, 2016, from https://socialanxietyinstitute.org/what-is-social-anxiety 

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A Text to Save a Life

 A Text to Save a Life

A Text to Save a Life

A Text to Save a Life

            In the past there have been various hotlines to answer the calls of individuals’ in crisis. These problems could range from suicidal thoughts to questioning their own sexuality. Not being alone is important in a person’s ability to heal and get through the mental struggles that sometimes are bigger than just their own self. Hotlines such as SuicideHotline.com give a person on the other side of the phone to listen and offer advice. Hotlines are 24/7 and are helpful for those that have the courage to speak up and call the hotline.

            What if the person doesn’t have the courage to call and speak to someone? They may have social anxiety that prevents them from talking to someone over the phone. “Social anxiety is the fear of being judged and evaluated negatively by other people, leading to feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, embarrassment, humiliation, and depression” (Richards 1). Additionally, shame and other attributes that could make it hard to actually pick up the phone and call. Recently, there’s a new hotline that’s been gaining popularity with teens and young adults. It goes by the name of Crisis Text Line or CTL.

            This hotline has various volunteer and supervisors on an online platform to help those that message in from their cell phones. This allows young people or even adults to text in during school or on a lunch break, and then text back in at any point instead of phone call that is all at once. The founder of Crisis Text Line spoke up on a TED talk expressing the need for a way for those too afraid to speak to finally get the help they deserve.

            Personally, I started to volunteer for this organization in October of last year and it’s been growing so much since then. There is a platform with so many amazing people that are ready to help the people that text in. The messages that are sent back and forth are about 140 characters long, and it takes a certain regimen of training to learn how to text while helping cool down the situation. There is an application for anyone of age to volunteer and help out on the platform. After the application is accepted there is training that will end in a final evaluation that determines if the individual is ready for platform and real people texting in.

            Crisis Text Line has a community that is centered not only for helping others but also focuses on the idea of self-care. Before anything else, everyone I’ve met or seen in the group are some of kindest people I’ve ever come into contact with. The organization has 15,273,980 messages processed to date and is constantly growing helping those around the entire nation. The number to text Crisis Text Line is 741-741 and text START or what the problem is at hand.

            It is a non-profit organization that takes in donations, and even though it does not offer people to continue texting in to replace therapy, but rather offers advice and to help calm down the situation. Finally, with data being in mind on a cell phone, there are standard texting messaging rates. In summary, Crisis Text Line is available to help cool down a situation and offer an ear to listen and action plan.

 

References:

The CTL Founder TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_lublin_the_heartbreaking_text_that_inspired_a_crisis_help_line

Crisis Text Line Website:

http://www.crisistextline.org/

Richards, T. A. (2013). What is Social Anxiety? Retrieved March 30, 2016, from https://socialanxietyinstitute.org/what-is-social-anxiety