Response Hotline of Suffolk Country is ‘Hear2Help’
Recently when driving over bridges, I have seen signs that say “Life is worth living- call 1-800-273-TALK.” They have also installed phones on these bridges, so that anyone who feels the need can call that number — which by the way, is Lifeline, the national suicide hotline. Yet despite these very inspirational signs — and I am very grateful have been put up — I doubt that most people are clear on the difference between Response of Suffolk County and Lifeline, and exactly what it is that these lines do.
I can say that too often, students on college campuses are not quite happy with the way they feel or the way their lives are going. The journey through college life can be just as difficult as the work life afterwards, or the traumatic high school experience before.
Yet these college students, or anyone, for that matter, often don’t know where to turn. Perhaps they don’t have anyone they would feel comfortable talking about it with. Or perhaps even worse, if they tried to open up they feel they would not be understood. Few things can possibly be felt as more degrading than someone else telling you that your problems do not matter, but it happens very often, even and especially by the people who care about us the most.
However, there are resources available to everyone for when they feel this way — students, faculty, parents or anyone at all who is going through a crisis or who just wants to talk. Response of Suffolk County is such a resource. What is written about it is the fact that counselors are there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. While this is true, it is also incomplete. It could very well say, “Counselors are there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to listen.”
Listening is an art. It is not as easy as many seem to think it is. At the hotline, every volunteer who picks up the phone will listen, free of judgment. Even if someone else tries to tell you are not critical and don’t matter, Response counselors will never say that. They know that your perceptions are your reality; you are going through a crisis if you believe that you are, and will try to empathize with your feelings throughout the call.
I cannot stress enough that Response is open to all people who feel that no one is listening to them, to people who are going through a crisis, or to people who are lonely and need someone to speak to. Everyone has those moments where they feel alone, when they feel no one cares, or when they feel lost and need a push in the right direction. Moreover, if you need a push in the right direction, Response may be able to offer you a referral to help you on your way.
If you have been in pain from a breakup for over a year, and all your friends are sick of hearing about it, Response will not be. If you’re suffering from a disease, and no one understands, Response will try their best to understand. If you have had a terrible day, if you are confused — even if you had a wonderful day and want to share it with someone who will listen to your story, Response will be there for you.
Although response may not be able to promise to make your day better or to make the problems in your life go away, no one can do that for you, but the service they do offer is just as valuable. They offer an outlet, a warm voice to listen to you whenever and wherever you need to talk in the hope that when you hang up the phone, you feel a little more understood and a little less alone. Also, every caller is free to call back whenever they need to, even if they just hung up an hour ago.
Lifeline is the national suicide hotline, of which Response is a part. If you are feeling suicidal, if you know someone who is feeling suicidal, or if you have just had an experience with suicide that you need to talk about, Lifeline is the place to call. Counselors there will talk you through whatever you are going through, try to support you, and understand you, just like Response.
There are over 200 branches for Lifeline — however, if you are calling from a 631 area code, it will get routed to the Suffolk County branch first. They will offer you referrals and send help if you need it. If someone in your life is feeling suicidal, Lifeline will do their best to offer help to that person if the caller allows it. Of course, Response does all these things too. If you don’t feel comfortable talking over the phone, the Response hotline has an online, private, chat on their website — responsehotline.org — called “Hear2Help.”
Too often, we don’t talk about the way that we feel. We get caught up in a rat race, push our emotions off to the side, and even listen to people who tell us that our problems are “not a big deal.” Yet if you think something matters; if something is disturbing you, then someone else’s opinion on how serious it is is not relevant, because they are not the person dealing with it. Both Response and Lifeline know this, and are there to help you through it.
It is so easy to become depressed and lonely when something as simple as a warm voice and a few kind words could help you. In those difficult times, and even in the good times, everyone should feel free to call Response at (631) 751-7500, visit the website or Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.
