Helpful crisis hotline people

I didn’t know that such good help was freely available

A recent elevator jolt followed by a moments flickering of lights triggered a panicky flashback of a time when I once got stuck inside for real. Back then we had transported a heavy metal desk inside a tiny dumbwaiter sized contraption, which when we shifted it, likely loosened one of the carrier chains. Our long day had already been a challenging one of excruciatingly heavy lifting and I sensed my blood pressure rise when the emergency button fizzled. Fortunately I had a pocket phone to dial 911, where the dispatcher immediately empathized, as she too, had once been stuck in a freight elevator for three hours on a Texas hot day and without water.

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When we escaped 20 minutes later, I dashed straight for fresh air and started singing “♫Green Grass & High Tides Forever.♪” That mask aside, I was still upset and quite angry. The building manager said no one should be using that elevator because people keep getting stuck in it. Well, what are “Out of Order” signs for? And right then the other half of our crew managed to do just that. At the end the manager asked for us to deduct for the time we were stuck in her elevator! And naturally, she didn’t leave us a tip.

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That evening my anger grew into rage over the stupid incident and I felt I was on the edge of doing something rash; like smashing the elevator door with a sledgehammer, so no one else could get stuck. Yeah, that’ll sure show ‘em! I told myself that this wasn’t the real me, but still couldn’t calm down for the life of me. So for the first time I dialed a crisis hotline. 

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It was 4 a.m. and I hadn’t slept a wink. Eric, a well-trained crisis specialist answered on the first ring. I was almost embarrassed to start explaining my claustrophobic panic, but Eric coached me to breathe and slowly explain what I was experiencing. 

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Just when I’d been thinking that nothing in the world could calm me down, Eric engaged me thoughtfully for an hour’s conversation. We talked about various aspects of the incident as well as some deeper personal feelings. Finally as I grew weary, Eric helped me calm down enough to get some good rest.

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I was surprised how much a one hour heart-to-heart phone call helped when I was experiencing a panicky crisis. Some people must be well suited for difficult jobs like these and I imagine they source their excellence from rigorous training and broad emergency experiences. I’m thankful for empathetic people like this. I didn’t realize how helpful they can be. One certainly made a difference for me. And I would encourage anyone else experiencing an oxymoronically ‘minor emergency’ like mine not to hesitate to do the same and reach out to one of these this free helpful resources, whenever they might come across their own dire time of need. 

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Here’s a start for those numbers of many resources:
Last updated: 6 Mar 2019

From the Psych Central Staff website:

“Whether you’re in crisis or are just looking help for a friend or family member, there are dozens of organizations available to help you deal with a variety of immediate concerns, from crisis situations and domestic violence, to rape and substance abuse. Most of these hotlines are available 24 hours a day, and can help you with whatever level of assistance you need — from general information about the topic, to helping you find an immediate intervention. The hotlines below are listed in alphabetical order according to topic.”
“If you’re suicidal, we recommend contacting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free at 800-273-8255. Additional crisis and suicide hotlines are available in the category below, Crises and Suicide.”
Need help for domestic violence? Call toll-free: 800-799-7233 (SAFE).

Immediate Online Assistance

Try one of these free crisis chat services:
Crisis Chat
Crisis Text Line (on your smartphone)
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
IMAlive”

https://psychcentral.com/lib/common-hotline-phone-numbers/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines


Responses to this article.

Be prepared for summer snake encounters

A friend spied some rattlers skulking around out Croy Canyon recently, and she asked me if she should go to Hailey’s St. Luke’s clinic for treatment, in the event that one was to strike out and bite her. In short, the answer is no, because the Hailey clinic is no longer an Urgent Care facility, and does not stock antivenin. However, St. Lukes Hospital a few miles south of Ketchum does carry rattlesnake antivenin and has treatment available at all hours.

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When traveling in the backcountry, far from hospitals, it’s a good idea to pack a first aid kit, and perhaps a snake-bite kit. A key point to remember when a snake sinks its fangs into you or a friend (or Man’s best friend) is to not panic or run, because an increased heart rate will speed the flow of venom in the circulatory system. Try to calm down and stay hydrated, but do get far enough from the snake so it won’t try to bite again. It’s important to identify the snake if possible, but use common sense and don’t try to catch the snake! Even if it is not a poisonous snake, you should cleanse the wound thoroughly, using warm water and antiseptic soap, before applying a snug dressing held by an elastic bandage. If feasible, carry the victim to the nearest available vehicle, before transporting him or her to the ambulance or hospital. If a rattlesnake bites you and you opt to drive to the hospital, rather than taking an ambulance; you would do well to call ahead, to tell them you are on the way, so staff can begin making preparations for your treatment.

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Occasionally some hardy westerners try to “cowboy up” after receiving snake bites, telling themselves that it’s not so bad, and they forgo any treatment. Later some come to regret this, as the area where they were bit, succumbs to a large amount of permanent tissue damage. Not only that, but since snakes subsist mainly on rodents, even non-poisonous snakes carry loads of filthy bacteria in their mouths; which with fang-bites can lead to terrible infections.

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Some other key points to remember are: Do not apply ice to the bite wound. This will not slow the venom flow. Also, do not use your mouth to suck out the venom. The accepted wisdom used to be to use a snake-bite kit to suction out the venom, but lately that’s been up for debate. Remove jewelry and other items which may constrict with swelling. A few years ago, a friend exploring in the remote Owyhee Desert had a rattlesnake bite his dog in the head, which started swelling to the point where he had to snip off his collar, before they could reach the vet.

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Some vital prevention tips regarding snakes are:

Snakes like to avoid the hot sun, by hiding under rocks or in crevasses. Stay away from reaching in there. When camping, zip up your tent the whole way, to keep snakes from squiggling in. Shake out shoes and clothes before dressing. Be a noisy walker to scare snakes away.

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Local lore has it that rattlesnakes are seldom seen above 5,500 feet. Although this may be a good rule of thumb, it’s not absolutely true, as snakes do not have altimeters built into their brains and depending on climate conditions, sometimes creep upwards to 7,000 feet and higher. Snakes sometimes seem to favor old abandoned mining operations.

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Much of this has been covered before in local newspapers, but it’s helpful to remind folks to be serpent-wary, with the plentiful amount of outdoorsy types constantly exploring here, during our high snake season.

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Once during a highway cleanup, Jim Banholzer got bit in the jeans by a lightning-quick rattlesnake, and he has been paying close attention to their interesting habits ever since.

Perrine Bridge Base Jumping Invites More Suicides

Story published at magicvalley.com on Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Last modified on Monday, November 13, 2006 11:55 PM MST

http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/11/14/news_letters/opinion_letters.2.txt


Perrine BASE jumping invites more suicides
By JIM BANHOLZER
Hailey
If you are a smart shopper and travel to Twin Falls, then by now you’ve been distracted seeing jumpers purposely plummet off the 486-foot-tall Perrine Bridge, then spiral safely to banks of the majestic Snake River. While this towering bridge attracts sportspersons, brimming full of life, hardly able to contain their energies, its low railing design also tempts those of an opposite polarity. Sometimes people in the process of despair, jump off bridges without parachutes.

One of the world’s top suicide magnets is the Golden Gate Bridge, with no obstruction to prevent death leaps. Since 1937, an estimated 1,500-plus people have ended their lives by jumping off this San Francisco inducement. Thanks in part to an in depth series: “SFGate: Lethal Beauty,” officials there are conducting a study for constructing a suicide prevention barrier with funds gathered from government groups and private donors.

As Idaho’s population increases, the Perrine Bridge is apt to become more of a fatal attraction for the distraught if no barrier is constructed. In the “Lethal Beauty” series, it’s shown that “in the late 1970s, two scientific studies concluded those survivors of suicide attempts from the Golden Gate Bridge do not ‘just go someplace else.’” It would be wise to start a similar feasibility study now for constructing a suicide barrier and/or installing crisis hotline telephones on the bridge ends before more terrible tragedies occur.

Obviously, there is a challenge to redesigning or improving any bridge that will continue allowing BASE-jumpers to utilize it. Still, there are certainly ways to improve protocols of bridge jumping for legitimate sportsmen along with the construction of an improved barrier.

I urge those that are concerned and those with further constructive ideas about this to contact local newspapers and The Idaho Transportation and Health and Welfare departments.