Hi Elizabeth CP
I'm really sorry that happened to you.
I called a suicide helpline a number of years ago and I felt more suicidal after that call than I did before I phoned.
The person said "You have 5 minutes" then only said the time "You have 4 mins 30 seconds and I'll hang up" etc etc etc down to 30 seconds then he hung up.
If I hadn't remembered what another psychologist had said to me, who knows what would have happened next.
Interesting how most people here have said "he".
I had another person earlier this year and he was so completely OFF track that I wondered if he was talking to me or thinking of another call. Just said things nothing to do with what I was saying. Tbh I also wondered if he was under the influence of substances - it was that weird.
Hence I call only one helpline now. I can guarantee they know my story as they've taken notes for years and I can always be put through to a Trauma Psych. All female.
What should you do?
Yeah it would have been impossible for me to even think of finding out how to report the suicide helpline person at the time.
I guess you could:
Hang up.
Don't call that one again.
Call one you've felt more comfortable with.
Btw I have a voice recorder on my phone, I was told to by Police. Certainly comes in handy at times.
The "clicks" each helpline gets form data to get more funding.
The best thing we can do is to AVOID the "bad" ones and use the ones we trust.
They'll get more funding and maybe SOMEWHERE down the line SOMEONE will ask WHY that helpline is more popular than the others... maybe.
EM