People Who've Called The National Suicide Prevention Hotline Explain What It's Really Like
*The following article contains discussion of suicide/self-harm.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
Calling the suicide hotline is an unfortunate, but necessary step. Nobody wants to be in that place.
But if someone is feeling that way, going to a friend or family member can be especially daunting. If they are going to turn to help, many would prefer keeping the entire situation under wraps.
And there's a phone number to call for that. In fact, there are many. Of course, the national hotline is well known. But several local versions of the suicide hotline abound as well.
Some Redditors gathered to share their experiences with such a service. For some, it was life-saving. Others were baffled by how inept it was, especially considering the seriousness of that service in particular.
If there was ever a Yelp page for the hotline, this Reddit thread was it.
ballistictipp asked, "What exactly happens if someone were to call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline? How do they try to help you? Are there other hotlines that are better?"
The Poster Child
"I called the VA suicide hotline once. It rang once or twice and a woman picked up. We talked for at least 3 hours, she was amazing. She really actually cared, asked questions, sympathized with me, she saved my life."
"I got an emergency appointment with a VA therapist that next day. At least in my case, it worked the exact way it should."
-- physicsguy84
Just There
"I've called once before when I was really upset about a friend situation I think and just some hard-to-swallow circumstances in my life. I talked to a really nice woman who sounded like she was in her 30s-40s and she listened to me as I cried and hyperventilated a little."
"I explained my situation, she empathized with me, and eventually I think she asked what I like to do for fun or to feel better and so we decided I'd watch a comedy special that night after I took a shower and just focus on me for a couple hours before I went to bed."
"At the very end of the call she made sure I didn't want to actively hurt myself or anything and I felt a lot better. I wish I remembered her name but she helped me a lot."
All About Tone
"The first time I called, I still remember to this day. I was in between therapist appointments, and I was struggling really bad. I called and got connected to some guy, and he asked me what he could help me with. I guess I didn't think that far ahead, and after about 10 seconds I just kind of stuttered out an 'I don't know.'"
"And god it must've just been the way he said it, but he just said, 'What's goin on man?' like an old pal that was ready to help. I broke down and told him everything. He talked to me like I was an equal, something I really needed at that time."
"Once I felt better, and like I could get through my day, I thanked him for his time, and the service he was providing. He had a few questions in there that I knew he had to ask. Was I planning anything, was I in danger, etc. But he sprinkled them throughout."
"We talked for about 25 minutes. A few days later I made a small donation to the hotline. They helped me, and I want them to be there to help others."
A More Clinical Description, From a Worker
"When someone calls who is suicidal, the first thing that's done is assessing safety to determine if they are in danger at the moment or in the near future."
"95% of suicide callers are not in danger when they call. In those cases they will gather information, empathize, and help you organize feelings that may be overwhelming you."
"After that you'll start moving towards 'solutions.' A good hotline will not give advice or solutions. Instead, they will talk through solutions that you come up with. It's better to empower people to execute their own solutions than to give outside advice."
"Ultimately though, the conversation is guided by you. If you just want to vent about suicidal feelings, you can. If you're feeling overwhelmed in a moment, you can just call and talk."
"If you have other questions, feel free to ask."
-- wampusboy
Strengthened by its Anonymity
"Well....For the first minute as you sit crying in the dark, you listen to some pretty dope relaxing elevator music."
"Then they connect you to someone. You awkwardly try to stumble through your problem as they listen carefully. They give you some advice, the conversation goes back and forth, and then you go on your way."
"I always thought it would be some life changing event when I called. Even though I logically knew nothing would happen, the back of my mind painted it as though time would stop. As though the police would show up 30 second after I called. As though everybody would know me as 'The one suicidal dude.' As if I'd would be going through therapy and taking medication for years after the event."
"That's probably what stopped me from calling for so long."
"Anyways, I talked through my problems, hung up, and then went on with life. Even so, it felt great to get so much off my chest, and to know that one person out there knew my struggle. It all kinda got better from there, and all it took was talking. Kinda cliché but true."
"There's more specialized lines that are better if you have a more specific issue or that target a specific group, otherwise NSPH is a good a choice as any."
-- Oizyson
Hit or Miss
"Well on one side you have those on the hotline that genuinely want to help people, and they will listen and suggest things as the conversation develops..."
-- thelagking61
Only as Good as the Employee on the Line
"I had a bad experience with them. I was fortunate enough that a friend called me right after and was astute enough to hear in my voice that I needed someone to talk to."
"Mainly, the person told me a story similar to mine where everyone pushed through it and ended up ok. When I said I was still fearful of my future and didn't know whether I really wanted to face it, she was upset. She actually said, 'didn't you hear the story I just told you?'"
"I told her that I thought I got as much 'comfort' as I could stand from her at the moment and hung up."
"Like I said, my friend called right after just to visit. Though my irritation at her tone was enough to break my despair a little."
-- angie_i_am
An Unexpected Concrete Impact
"I called while I was at work a couple months ago. I was cutting a lot and thought I cut really deep. I was talking with them for about 15-20 minutes when an ambulance and the cops showed up." -- Princevaliant377
"I'm shocked you weren't involuntarily commited. I was several years ago and although it was....one of the worst experiences of my life (you basically become the state's property), it also changed my life for the better." -- synyaks
"Think about the money we'd save not dispatching police immediately to things like this." -- Sibraxlis
Sometimes Just Listening Goes So Far
"I called once a couple of years ago. In Australia it's called Lifeline (131114 btw). I was very drunk, had a massive knife and my husband was away at work."
"From what I remember, the woman on the other end of the line listened and asked about my situation. I can't remember exactly what she said but I know she stayed very calm and I knew I had her undivided attention. I knew that she cared at that moment and she talked me down."
"I guess because I called, that was what I really wanted. We were on the phone for maybe 15/20 minutes. I wish I could thank her in person."
-- IfIhadaMoog
Redditor u/Slow_Koala wanted to hear from those who have been touched by the sadness of losing others to suicide. Maybe anyone reading can find some solace or a reason to reach out. Life is often unbearable and lonely but there is always a chance for life to turn around. Extinguishing your life is an extreme you can never take back. You are loved. And to those left behind it can often feel like a prison sentence that never sets you free. We all need to check in on one another more. Be kind.
People who were mentioned in someone's suicide note, what's your story?
1.
My amazing cousin killed himself when I was 16. He was 26. We found the note a few weeks later. He'd singled out immediate family members with a love / good bye note. No one else except his 4 siblings and parents. Then there was my mum, my brother, and then me at the bottom. "You're going to grow up and be amazing; you're going to be a star."
You don't know weight till your fav person in the world thinks the world of you, and that's the last thing they think before they die. And you have no idea how to live up to it. Haunting and inspiring. You don't forget it. gmewhite
2.
I was a teenager and a close friend killed herself. She wanted me to have her music collection, leather jacket, and a screenplay she wrote. Eyeletblack
3.
My mom committed suicide after finding out that her tumor was malignant, she had just lost her father a year before and her mother died in treatment for cancer,she laid everything out notes to specific people and how she wanted things done. I have always been an old soul and she planned for me to find her as I would be the reasonable person I am. But that day I was invited to try out for the debate team so I came home late..... and my little sister was the one who found her. pootiemane
4.
He just got back from Iraq - Marine. He called me up. I wasn't very close to him but we both served. Michael. We talked for about two weeks before it happened. He talked about how much he loved his Mom; his brothers in the service. I thought everything was normal - that's crap we all talk about after coming home.
He shot himself over the phone. I still can't get the sound out of my head. Navy took two weeks to send a chaplain. Then NCIS was involved.
When I returned home I found out that he had left a ruck for me. He left a rucksack for me and I couldn't do anything for him. He gave it to his parents and had asked them to give it to me. DevilsAdvocate9
5.
One of my best friend's mother committed suicide and had a little message for her two children in her suicide note. It was mostly straight down the line apologetic, and an explanation as to why.
Spinal Cancer which metastasized and it was only downhill for her. She did her taxes, paid all her bills, got all her paperwork in order. Wrote a farewell note and swallowed a bottle of painkillers.
I only managed to see a small section of the note as I was the second non-emergency person on the scene (my friend was the first), but enough to know it was her way of trying to make things as painless as possible for everyone else. Engineer_Man
6.
Best friend hung himself in his room, New Year's Day 2015 - left one note saying "I'm so sorry mum." on his bed. She found him. So he didn't mention me, but it's the same topic I suppose.
His mum and I scattered his ashes together, and she gave me a jacket and necklace of his that he always had on. Haven't taken the necklace off since, and I have a tattoo of his birthday on my arm - it really affected me heavily, and I developed bad anger issues from it all. I'm much better now though. puffpuffpoo
7.
Even though nobody was mentioned, this specific note stays close to my heart to this day.
My dad is a retired detective, and one day a few years ago he came home from work visually distraught. I usually talk to him about his day so I asked him what was wrong and he told me a young man (I think around 22) had committed suicide and the note broke his heart. I asked what it said and it read something like "Mom, Dad, I'm sorry I couldn't be stronger. I hope to see you both someday in a place that's beautiful". MikeCozzi
8.
I remember when a friend of mine for ten years died. It wasn't a traditional suicide note. He told me over Skype. I still have the conversation saved. He told me how good I was to him. he told me how I was like the angel Michael to him. He called me his brother.
I tried to stop him. I tried to contact his relatives. His sister didn't care. I still remember that night. I kinda remember him waiting for Diablo 3 to be released. He died before it did though.
I wish he was still alive. We would have laughed at the irony, Diablo 3 was @%& terrible when it came out. Oh my dear beautiful J, you would have really hated the piece of crap it was on release and we could have both laughed at the irony that you stayed alive long enough to see it. Illigard
9.
Used to know this woman, who's ex husband killed himself and used his suicide note to tell his children (6 and 8 yo) that their mummy killed him and not only was it her fault, but theirs too. And the police dealing with it had to be physically stopped by the mother from reading it to her damn kids. One of the more fucked up stories from where I live. CollaborativeKale
10.
My girlfriend killed herself a little over a year ago. We were fighting and I was planning to leave her. She sent me a message that she hoped her death weighed heavy on me for a long time while I was sleeping. She was dead in the bed next to me when I woke up. Now... regrets and nightmares. It's 4:30am. I'll go to sleep when the sun comes up, sleeping at night it's difficult. 502red428
11.
Around May two years ago, my mother tried to commit suicide and I remember finding the note after I found her. When I went to "find her" I thought she was somebody trying to break into our house so I went and grabbed a knife, it turns out the noise I heard was her body flopping against the door. I ended up being able to make sure she was okay but I think what killed me most was her note. She stated that my two sisters and I were all she had and (since we were growing up) she didn't have us anymore. She wanted to leave this world so badly. HedgeHog02
12.
I was thanked in my friends suicide note. I was with him the night he passed. I didn't know he was going to do it, he just said he was upset and wanted to meet up for a smoke and a chat.
I believe I was the last person to see him alive. It really hit me hard when I found out he had passed.
He was a good friend. We'd known each other for about a decade. Went to the same school and lived around the corner from each other. He told me his secrets that he couldn't tell his girlfriend or family. AJTwinky
13.
Not really a suicide one but a end-of-life-goodbye one. He was sick and almost got through it, but at the end with weak immune system, cold was enough to get inflammations on everything... He was almost 18. Till this day the perfect person for me. And most important of all, the only real rock i had who was there from the moment we first met. He wanted to make me laugh. He always did that. Made a few jokes. Terrible ones, dad ones. Still made me laugh, and made the pain more durable. I miss those lame jokes... hero3na
14.
It was my dad's note. Telling us boys that he is so proud of the men we've become and even just writing that now makes me cry happy and sad tears. It's been just over four years now.
He was a great dad and had such a profoundly positive impact on who I am today. Even with how it ended, I couldn't ask for a better dad. He was something else. I'm a lucky kid.
Wish he could see me now. I'm glad he knew my wife before he went. Wish he could meet my nephew.
I love you dad. I still miss the hell out of you, you ornery old hippie. You're still my hero. Thank you. For everything.
Welp, wasn't expecting that wave. Thank you. It's been a minute since I cried for him. aph0r1zm
15.
He sent me a separate note the day before he did it.
"Thanks for existing, i love you"
I just answered with "love you too, bud". I had no idea. Aenator
16.
My stepdad committed suicide when I was about 7 years old. In his letter he wrote he was lonely since my mother left him. He mentioned that he couldn't live anymore because I didn't want to see him anymore and didn't want to talk to him on the phone when he called my mother the last time. I found him hanging on my grandmother's attic where I played hide and seek with my cousin. At this time he was 3 weeks dead.
It's difficult to think about it. Even though I know I was just a child and I had my reasons (he was an alcoholic who was violent when he drank), I still feel guilty. And for that feeling I hate him. On the other hand I know he was a wreck, destroyed by his parents. But neither my mother nor I were responsible for this. littleweirdbutok
17.
No note, just a phone call to preteen me that had stayed up too late because my single-parent mother had gone out looking to score whatever pills would sate her addiction (kid me had no idea, adult me now knows it was obvious). I don't remember the call completely, but I do remember being annoyed she'd kicked me off the dialup by calling in.
She said and made me promise a bunch of things that felt very serious but also very confusing and then we hung up. Police officer knocked on the door a few hours later and everything changed. No one but me knows about that phone call, especially not my brother.
I'll be the exact same age she was, down to the hour, in roughly 500 days. I keep a countdown timer on my phone. One of the promises she made me make was to live longer than she did. Oceanis46dot1
18.
He wanted me to know he loved me. That it wasn't my fault. That I was "the best friend anyone could want or have." That I should have his car. That he thought he was going mad and was saving his brother and me from the maddness.
I showed the note to my therapist. She thinks he had schizophrenia. His Mom did.
Its been 6 years. Im still not over his death. Doubt I ever will be. DANDELIONBOMB
19.
I had lived with Craig for about eight months before he killed himself. I'd known him for four years before that. We met at a metal gig and he was a short, thin guy who almost got trampled in a mosh pit. We knew he was going a bad way as soon as he started hanging out with the group we all knew did heroin and similar regularly (maybe two months after we started living together). I tried to help him as much as I could.
There were so many nights when he got back, clearly out of his mind on whatever it was he'd been doing and he'd stay on the couch in my room instead of going to his own. He didn't like to be alone. I spent a lot of mornings cooking for him and generally making sure he was okay, but it was like shoveling snow in a blizzard. He'd just go do the same the next night. At the end of that eight months we found him in his room having overdosed. We realized it was intentional when we read his note.
A lot of it was about his family problems, his mental health and just generally how terrible he thought the world was. Then near the end was a little paragraph about me, thanking me but saying I made the decision to end his life more complicated. He asked me not to blame myself. He then rambled some more and it was clear he'd been high whilst writing it. I moved out a month later. FifthForestMonk
20.
When my stepdad, and the father of my three younger brothers killed himself last month, he didn't leave a note. What he did do (I didn't even know that was possible) was queue up three texts, so they wouldn't be received until the morning after. At exactly 8 am, all three of my brothers received a text from him.
To my two oldest brothers (19 and 17): "I love you forever. I'm sorry, I just can't live with this any longer."
To my youngest brother (13): "You are a very special boy and I'll love you forever xx".
I asked my youngest brother if it had made it better or worse. He said worse. LifeIsAKindergarten
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
These Responses From Vets To A Memorial Day Tweet By The U.S. Army Are Utterly Devastating
On Memorial Day, we remember the ultimate sacrifice by members of our armed forces to preserve the freedoms and liberties of our country.
And remembering their sacrifice carries with it a responsibility to understand its long-reaching impacts and not to candy-coat the truth in the name of patriotism.
*Content warning: mentions of violence, death, trauma, suicide and sexual assault*
The U. S. Army posted to Twitter asking veterans what impact their time in the military had on their lives.
"How has serving impacted you?"
The intention was likely good, meaning to honor those who served, but a bulk of the responses were probably not what the Army had in mind.
How has serving impacted you?— U.S. Army (@U.S. Army)1558654455.0
Many responses talked about the toll on the mental and physical health of those who serve, even when they do make it back home.
The trauma and sacrifice wasn't always related to combat.
@USArmy Sexual harassment every day. Experiencing sexual assault. Protecting others from sexual assault. Sleeping w… https://t.co/huzB9RZVWE— Hannah Funderburk (@Hannah Funderburk)1558901584.0
@USArmy Just lost my cousin to stage 4 cancer from drinking “dirty” water at Camp Lejeune. Served his country witho… https://t.co/5i5PRPHcui— Mr. Salty (@Mr. Salty)1558887937.0
@USArmy I was the guy that typed those, Dear Mr and Mrs soandso, we regret to inform you... letters. Every day all… https://t.co/sbLOiip9fP— Tom (@Tom)1558885618.0
@USArmy My wife and I served in the @USArmy. We spent over 5 years geographically separated from each other. She wa… https://t.co/eJkLKSc0uV— C & B (@C & B)1558925081.0
Agent Orange has had a horrible impact on many lives too.
@USArmy The agent orange my grandfather was exposed to in Vietnam caused his cancer & death, and possibly caused th… https://t.co/HBBUYftlHH— garbage boy stink man (@garbage boy stink man)1558882173.0
@USArmy My bother served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive...today he struggles with two Agen… https://t.co/i4GDebSgxO— Oksana Yonan (@Oksana Yonan)1558918832.0
@USArmy Never met my grandfather thanks to a long battle with melanoma from Agent Orange in Vietnam but thanks for asking— gillian (@gillian)1558931315.0
Many who made it home still couldn't reconcile civilian life with their time in service, and their loved ones lost them anyway.
@USArmy My high school friend Ron Keeling committed suicide in 2009 after his second tour in Iraq. I didn’t keep in… https://t.co/HYaSCUXB5P— Michael Alexander (@Michael Alexander)1558907111.0
@USArmy My brother went at 18, served as a sergeant in the Gulf war, came home a loner and an alcoholic, walked in… https://t.co/f09JkmgxPv— #CitizenG (@#CitizenG)1558918315.0
@USArmy You know who I'm thinking about this memorial day weekend? The guys in my husband's unit who never made it… https://t.co/T5RlXY6KzL— BBfan4life (@BBfan4life)1558892584.0
@USArmy Two friends commuitted suicide, another has a broken back, another is deaf in one ear, harrased by my 1st… https://t.co/RPN9EJyUBC— 🏳️🌈 Adelaide Knight 🏳️🌈 (@🏳️🌈 Adelaide Knight 🏳️🌈)1558917501.0
Many people who read through the thread were horrified by what they read.
Several were thankful for the people speaking out, as the suffering experiences by those who serve is often only talked about in hushed voices in private spaces.
@USArmy I’m glad this is getting as much flak as it is. The army is a predatory service and it is FINALLY being cal… https://t.co/u3FGkwItll— Ethan Mac (@Ethan Mac)1558926882.0
@USArmy This should be a book. Every 1 should read these. Advertise THIS.— lornaw2 (@lornaw2)1558934397.0
@USArmy I couldnt read more than 10 stories. Really disheartening. Try to be strong everyone, and for those that ca… https://t.co/A0vniw3Fkt— Plant Based D🥥🍅🥕🥑(Sandor Clegane) (@Plant Based D🥥🍅🥕🥑(Sandor Clegane))1558885140.0
@USArmy Seeing all these responses is sad. Trying to remember all those who didn’t come home this Memorial Day wee… https://t.co/eLW2URN9au— Nate Gutschow (@Nate Gutschow)1558921378.0
The Army acknowledged the torrent of negative responses to their tweet, and urged anyone currently in crisis to reach out.
To everyone who responded to this thread, thank you for sharing your story. Your stories are real, they matter, and… https://t.co/qB63x2gf22— U.S. Army (@U.S. Army)1558816876.0
As we honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice this weekend by remembering their service, we are also mindful of… https://t.co/nsDnTzXCTf— U.S. Army (@U.S. Army)1558816876.0
If you or someone you know is in need of help, please call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 (and press 1… https://t.co/BHzHkXt7KK— U.S. Army (@U.S. Army)1558816876.0
Several people pointed out that a phone number is not enough, and doesn't absolve the armed forces of responsibility to care for those who served.
@USArmy Help me understand why it is 100% incumbent upon the service member to initiate this contact. You have our… https://t.co/hBIyphcQwf— Ruck My Life (@Ruck My Life)1558902210.0
@USArmy Wow why am I not surprised. No accountability or responsibility yet they are preached 24/7 by the @USArmy a… https://t.co/xkX3V0GtpO— FixtheWorldfast (@FixtheWorldfast)1558911666.0
As well as their duty to defend and honor the service of their LGBTQ servicemembers, regardless of the religious beliefs of any members of the executive branch.
Well, I gave y’all six years and someone who exploited five draft deferments was allowed to dishonor my service and… https://t.co/4rOJ6KepSl— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈)1558825662.0
7 for me and I feel the same. https://t.co/ghT9iEemao— Dan Goodman (@Dan Goodman)1558836833.0
While the current system is wholly insufficient, crisis lines like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline listed in the U. S. Army's tweet are there to help anyone in crisis.
If a phone call isn't going to be helpful, the Lifeline also has an online chat option at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/.
Oliver Jones, of Tulsa, Oklahoma recently shared an itemized breakdown of the bill he received from a hospital stay last year after a suicide attempt with the caption:
"This is how expensive it is to attempt suicide in the US."
The bill, which totalled over 93,000, is a stark reminder of what is wrong with the American healthcare system.
Jones said his out-of-pocket costs for the stay were $2,850 because of insurance, but that he would have been financially devastated if not for that insurance. Not exactly a great thing for someone who is already suicidal to have to deal with.
This is how expensive it is to attempt suicide in the US. https://t.co/QHEzNcDeyB— oliver garden (@oliver garden)1555368417.0
Several Twitter users responded with their similar stories.
@alcumist THIS!!! in 2017 I was in the psych ward cause I was suicidal. I stayed a weekend. I’m now 10k in debt.… https://t.co/WPahJUMzfA— ♡ (@♡)1555383780.0
@alcumist yes! I’m so glad I didn’t stay longer cause I don’t wanna be more in debt but you can’t even get help w/o… https://t.co/zQHuoo3ekX— ♡ (@♡)1555384941.0
@alcumist The absolute fuckery of it all.. I’m paying $100+ a month for at least a year for being involuntarily thr… https://t.co/D7omTNO6I8— Mak 🌿 (@Mak 🌿)1555388204.0
@alcumist I think mine was ~*only*~ $32,000 😐 I wound up with a $5200 bill after insurance. I’ve been paying $50/m… https://t.co/rUGsZYX6wZ— andi (@andi)1555415132.0
Those from other countries were especially shocked at the cost.
@alcumist @Mappvilla How can this be a thing? I'm brazilian, we have way less money, still, some weeks ago my grand… https://t.co/5W6YHbN96b— Esquerdobixo na ufrgs (@Esquerdobixo na ufrgs)1555446521.0
@alcumist It always amazes me that there are Americans whom would still defend their healthcare system.— RedGrapes (@RedGrapes)1555383906.0
Some were apparently less empathetic.
@Mappvilla You'd be surprised at the amount of people in my mentions and DMs saying how "good" and "appropriate" this bill is— oliver garden (@oliver garden)1555383961.0
In a 2018 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which involved over 120,000 youth ages 11-19, more than half of the participants who identified as "transgender, female to male" had attempted suicide.
This was even more likely in youth who were also non-heterosexual.
Combine this with the 2015 Johns Hopkins findings that some hospitals are marking up prices of treatments by over 1000% (yes, that's one thousand percent), and you have a recipe for disaster.
Oliver touched on the problem in an interview with The New York Post:
"Receiving bills and notices for something that will likely take me years to pay off is…disheartening. It leaves a hopeless feeling."
If you are considering suicide, or just need someone to talk to, there are people out there who are willing to listen and want to help.
The Trans Lifeline is a peer-support hotline dedicated to support for trans and trans-questioning people. They can be reached at 877-565-8860.
The Trevor Project provides help to LGBTQ youth. Their hotline can be reached by calling 1-866-488-7386 or texting START to 678678.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline also provides support and crisis intervention. They can be reached by calling 1-800-273-8255
There are also local services and support groups available throughout the United States.
Sophie Turner Reveals She Contemplated Suicide Over Trolls' Negative 'Game Of Thrones' Comments
Actress Sophie Turner opened up about mental health issues in her family during an interview with Dr. Phil on his podcast, Phil in the Blanks.
The 22-year-old plays Sansa Stark on HBO's Game of Thrones, which she has been a part of since the fantasy series began filming in July 2010, when she was 14.
Comments about her weight and criticism of her acting on social media took a toll on the impressionable then-teenage actress , who said it was a catalyst for her depression.
"I would just believe it. I would say, 'Yeah, I am spotty. I am fat. I am a bad actress.' I would just believe it. I would get [the costume department] to tighten my corset a lot. I just got very, very self-conscious." "I'd be concerned about angles, I'd be concerned about face. I have a big nose, I don't know how to angle myself, and it would just affect me creatively." "I couldn't be true to the character because I would be thinking about Sophie."
Turner's decision to choose her career and live at home with her parents, instead of going to university with friends, exacerbated the feelings of isolation and lack of motivation.
"I had no motivation to do anything or go out. Even with my best friends, I wouldn't want to see them, I wouldn't want to go out and eat with them." "I just would cry and cry and cry over just getting changed and putting on clothes and be like, 'I can't do this. I can't go outside. I have nothing that I want to do.'"
@ABC Kudos to her for helping to break the stigma of talking about mental health!— That little punk kid running Canada (@That little punk kid running Canada)1555553646.0
@ABC You are one of the strongest women we know!!!! I believe it though, with any sort of an emotional vice, we a… https://t.co/TfzrFefuqr— veronica (@veronica)1555553895.0
Although she admitted she could never hurt herself, Turner admitted to contemplating suicide when her depression took hold at 17 and didn't understand why.
"It's weird. I say I wasn't very depressed when I was younger, but I used to think about suicide a lot when I was younger. I don't know why though." "Maybe it's just a weird fascination I used to have, but yeah, I used to think about it. I don't think I ever would have gone through with it. I don't know."
I just want to hug @SophieT and protect her from everything bad— jessi (@jessi)1555554035.0
@enews I've struggled with depression/anxiety all my life. It's just a chemical imbalance in the brain. My happy pi… https://t.co/ScTUUjlPUI— Monica smith (@Monica smith)1555515767.0
Turner said she is doing better thanks to sessions with her therapist and being on medication. But she still struggles with depression.
"I've suffered with my depression for five or six years now. The biggest challenge for me is getting out of bed and getting out of the house. Learning to love yourself is the biggest challenge." "I'm on medication and I love myself now, or more than I used to, I think."
@MTVNEWS The world dont deserve her :( An angel.— Maya Fraser | house of ⭙ | McFly (@Maya Fraser | house of ⭙ | McFly)1555521219.0
Her engagement to Joe Jonas has been a blessing.
"When someone tells you they love you, it makes you really think about why that is. I think it makes you love yourself a bit more."
@enews As more and more public figures open up about mental health issues, hopefully we can see a societal change i… https://t.co/sekujd4GfK— Greg Burzynski (@Greg Burzynski)1555515005.0
Dr. Phil commended the actress on her transparency with mental health issues, saying that she is helping to save thousands of lives in America this year.
"That is absolutely what I hope to be like. To speak about it and be transparent about it. That's the payoff I would like is for people to not feel so alone and feel encouraged to talk to someone about it."
@MTVNEWS Grown ass adults spent their time hurling insults at her when she was still a child. Despite all the bully… https://t.co/uCO1naNK2x— katheryn winnick nation — (@katheryn winnick nation —)1555522240.0
If you or someone you know is struggling, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
You can watch the full interview of the Phil in the Blanks podcast in the YouTube clip below:
'Game Of Thrones' Star Sophie Turner Reveals Social Media Was 'Catalyst' For Depression On 'Phil … www.youtube.com