Help that is not always helpful, a challenge with 988

I no longer make a commitment to publish regularly as every time I do the gap between posts gets longer. Yikes.

That said, join with me to send the warmth of your heart out into wherever those we love travel to when they die. We have lost Peg Wood. I am deeply saddened and at the same time lovingly moved by all that she gave to many of us survivors. Forever grateful. The past two posts were focused on her wisdom. Please take a moment to cherish her.

Today’s post is brief but, I believe, critical. An article, by Rob Wipond published May 20, 2023, in the Mad in America newsletter, caught my attention. The title “Psychiatric Detentions Rise 120% in first year of 988: As contacts to the new 988 hotline have risen, so have call tracing and police interventions.” It seems the new suicide prevention hotline contact number has resulted in an increased number of contacts. This is greatly promoted by clinicians and the general public as helpful. And it likely is. But…

What is not typically mentioned is the risk callers take when reaching out for support. It is not made apparent that the person you are speaking with has the power to contact your local authorities, who then can find you and have your forcibly taken to a psychiatric facility. This is a bit tricky as it is stated that the support person doesn’t have you committed. It goes unsaid that they contact those who can.

This is critical information as people who live with Self-Directed Violence (SDV) are at great risk of being coerced, restrained, committed. Sometimes because SDV is confused with a suicide attempt, sometimes because people are disturbed or repulsed by the behavior and don’t understand it.

What to do if you want support but fear having police come to your home or place of work, risk being hauled away to a facility, lose your freedom? My thought, and I hope to learn what you think, is… don’t mention self-injury. Be aware that not all conversations are safe to have. Perhaps keep certain struggles private and ponder what you would like to have support for, whether it is a memory, feeling, or situation that is causing you distress. Many of us have done this for decades as the world of psychiatry is late in understanding our histories of trauma and how SDV helps us survive. Until the day that they do… I encourage us to be cautious. And in the meantime we will keep educating those willing to learn.