there is a new text service in my country for helping mentally ill people
its a crisis text service for people who have no one to turn to and need some help
anyway this new service just started and they are looking for volunteers to assist others in crisis or who need some support…all you have to do is text
i thought i could do the job, i feel im suited to it
all i have to do is text people tp help them when they are in trouble, wouldnt it be similar to posting on these forums?!
anyway i contacted my key worker in my mental health club to ask him to act as areference…he said he would think about it…he returned the call to me just now and said he didnt think i was up to the job …he didnt want to give me a reference…that shook me
it was a blow…i thought i would be really suited to the job, now i have doubts
as i said this is a free text service for mentally ill folk
As a mentally ill person the provides support to mentally ill people, I have to tell you that it’s no walk in the park. Trying to talk someone out of delusions or suicidal thoughts is both rewarding and exhausting.
It’s not like a regular job. You carry the conversation with you and constantly wonder if you did right, what you could do better, and wonder if the person goes on to hurt themselves.
It’s a real burden on your own mental health. If your worker doesn’t think tou are up for it, then listen.
My own therapist checked out this site when I became a mod. She was worried that it might be too much. If she had said it was too much then I would have stepped down. Instead, she was impressed and told me to constantly check my own mental health. We talk about the forum on my therapy days and how it affects me. So far so good.
Can you handle the stress? Can you handle it if someone wants to die and has compelling reasons? What if they tell you that your words make it worse? What if someone describes abuse in graphic detail? Will any of this trigger you?
do you not think that i would have a huge advantage over students that i would be competing with for this volunteer texter job. Like when you think about it there will be psych nurse students and psychology students, generally aged 18 to 22…sure they dont have that much life experience…im 44 and have been suffering from mental illness since 13…and i have been a psych patient for 22 yrs…would i be more qualified/suitable
Not always, like @anon4362788 said, its stressful.
If you’re really confident you can try. I would ask your psychiatrist if its stressful. Mine was pushing me to work by calling work agencies for the disabled but I couldn’t work. Some I failed interviews and some I only lasted 1-2 weeks before rage quitting on my own. I quit over 10 jobs in 9 years and the max I lasted was a video games tester, lasted 4 weeks. And all that was on Abilify, now on Risperdal I am not even able to apply, I am scared and not motivated at all.
Being a patient doesn’t make you more qualified to offer crisis support to people in a bad episode. You need sone sort of training.
Your worker knows your strengths and weaknesses. Just wanting to do a job doesn’t mean you are suited for it. In this particular job failure isn’t only messing up the job, the wrong advice could really hurt someone.