Hi, re help/help lines... using phones is almost impossible with my hearing. Ireguraliny have to drive into brisbane to hold a conversation tha lasts a minute, more often than not. i have even had help lines hang up on me, whe i cant hear the, and ask them to "speak up"... (i am learning Auslan from u-tube)
depression in spades. but not for the reason you would suspect. started whne i was at school, being beaten up at school every week from age 8 (i was the shortest kid in the class till abeshouse joined) etc. went home to the total aduse by mum... etc. double whammy. collapsing at school sports event, because i had glandular fever when i was 9 (and again ar 23. that has ruined my heart. almost all my hospital emergency admissions were coronsry... ) but that is not the problem. the problem is all the aditional abuse/humiliation when such was publicised to the entire school.
I have a hide thicker than elephants.. having been putting up with physical sexual and mental abuse from all sides & family, since age 7. the thing that cause depression, is when "helpers" magnify my problems by publicising/broadcasting such to 'the world' humiliating me. which happens even to this day. (just last week I offered to resign from the last club i am in, after I pointed out that I had heard less than "a dozen words all night" at the lectures.. which everyone laughted at.. I can put up with the deafness, but not the ridicule, which hurts most. (Snails have more of a social life)
and the above such continued ALL my life. eg. during the 2011 Flood, the "helpers" that turned up, helped themselves, told later that many just carted my stuff the their cars.. even looted by Police officers. (took 2 years but eventualy they stood own the sargent, which made headlines inthe local paper, but endured years of harrasments. etc. (this is what I mean by So-called Kind hearted people turning my misfortune into their opportunity, rather that actualy helping. all my life I have been robbed. eg, the local kids know I cant hear them walking up my front steps, and so any parcel left on my front porch is whiffed. etc.)
I was in the suicide ward ward after the flood, dragged their by the police. not realising they were back in myhouse helping themselves.. and depression set in. could not eat, and the male nurse said "no sking of my nose if you die..".. etc.. having ashbergerswhere I can remember as far back as 4 years ld does not help.
S