Crisis Text Line, a non-profit service which has brought the 1-800 support line into the age of texting. It is a new and easy way to communicate and reach out for those who are in need to overcome suicidal tendencies.
Rayne is deaf and didn't grow up learning sign languages. Whenever she had suicidal thoughts, she couldn't communicate or sign with anyone. Nor she could pick up a phone to call a crisis hotline. She eventually found help online by learning about cognitive behavioral therapy.
Now, Rayne is one of their trained counselors, all available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to respond in need with SMS texts. The texts are kept anonymous and confidential.
Crisis Text Line is a non-profit service that brings a support hotline into the age of texting.
Rayne clarified in an email interview that Crisis Text Line is not a replacement for mental health care, but helps those people who feels completely overwhelmed, lost and alone. Those people aren't capable of communicating such matters to others. It is a point of connection and a way to get to a more stable frame of mind.
The Crisis Text Line is not just specified for deaf people but for anyone who are in need.
In three years since it was founded, the non-profit service has exchanged over 19 million text. Earlier this month, it has raised nearly $24 million in a Series B-type investment from tech heavyweights.
Nancy Lublin, the organization's founder, got the idea when working with teenagers, whom some started to text her staff about issues like depression and rape.
Users of the service run the gamut. About 35% of the texts come from the middle-aged people, many of whom are texting about their children, divorces and job troubles.
Since the suicidal rates have climbed to alarming levels, public health and DC researchers need all the help they can get and agree that suicide prevention needs more resources.
In the age of Snapchat and WhatsApp, it is much easier to reach out to people, especially now that talking on phone seem awkward and uncomfortable. Using the modern technology can help those who aren't capable of speaking too, like those who are hearing impaired and mute. Chatting and texting can also give the person his or her own privacy without being overheard.
Through the volume of conversations, Crisis Text Line has gained insights into hard-to-qualify mental health topics such as suicidal thoughts, self harm and bullying.
According to their date shared to Crisis Trends, suicidal thoughts tend to spike between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tuesdays are most common for texters who come for help about depression and physical abuse.
Rayne got involved with the Crisis Text Line when she read the website and felt compelled to join. After years of struggling with mental health issues, she wanted to help others. She started volunteering in June 2015 and now works 12 hours a week.
Now, the service has grown to more than 30 counselors who are deaf or hard of hearing.
“I know what it’s like to not have somewhere to turn in a crisis, and I don't want others to have to feel that way,” she said.
For more information:
Crisis Text Line: Text 741-741 from anywhere in the USA, anytime, about any type of crisis.
Lifeline Crisis Chat: Chat online with a specialist who can provide emotional support, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention services
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Source: USA Today
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