University can be incredibly hard mentally and it is important that you seek help when you need it. An anonymous student discusses the experience they had the first time that they tried calling Samaritans.
At the beginning of the year, I was in a terrible place. I had just gone through a breakup, I did not really like my house and two weeks into the term, I was already behind on work. I had friends and family and yet I felt completely alone. Lying in the bed that I hadn’t left in four days, I thought that was it. My brain was telling me there was no point anymore.
I wanted to cry for help and talk to someone, but I didn’t want my friends to pity me and I didn’t have the energy to leave my room. Then, I remembered a talk that I had been to about the Samaritans helpline. I had never done anything like it before, but I was desperate and alone, so I googled the number and gave them a ring.
They are not there to provide specific advice, but rather there to listen and help you explore your own feelings.
The man that answered was calm and collected. I didn’t know how to start and he guided me into the conversation, asking me how he could help. ‘I feel really sad and I don’t know what to do’ I managed to spit out in a tear-filled outburst. He asked me if I knew why and before I knew it, I began telling him the details of my failed relationship and current mental state. He asked me questions, he made it clear he was listening and while he didn’t give specific advice, he made me feel like I wasn’t alone. There was something about the anonymity of it all that allowed me to come clean in a way that I hadn’t been able to with my friends or family. It was comforting to have someone patiently listen to me.
The Samaritans clarify on their website that they don’t tell you what you should do. They are not there to provide specific advice, but rather there to listen and help you explore your own feelings. That’s exactly what the volunteer on the phone did for me. In the 24 minutes we spoke, I was able to explain why I was so upset, how much of my Uni course I’d missed and why I felt so alone despite having people around me. It was judgement free, soothing and a great stepping stone out of my sad bubble.
I won’t pretend that after the phone call I was immediately cured; mental health is never as simple as that. However, I strongly believe that that phone call was what pushed me to getting the next steps I needed. Once I had spoken to the volunteer it made it easier to do the same to friends. Though he didn’t give any specific advice, I left the call feeling like I would eventually get through it all. After those 24 minutes, I realised that sometimes something as simple as talking things through and having someone listen can make a world of difference.
I had never sought help like this before. A part of me had always felt like I was never ‘bad enough’ mentally to deserve any sort of professional help. However, the Samaritans clarify that they are there for anyone and everyone. They stress that they offer a safe place for all – you don’t have to be suicidal to come to them. I didn’t know what I was capable of when I rang them, I just knew that I needed to talk to somebody and in the moment, they seemed like a good solution.
Sometimes something as simple as talking things through and having someone listen can make a world of difference.
I could not recommend their service enough. If you are struggling and you feel like there is no way out in the moment, give them a ring! They obviously can’t solve all of your problems, but they were a great first step for me.
Featured Image: Unsplash / Andy Art
If you feel the need to contact the Samaritans, check out their contact page here. Or alternatively, if you feel like you want to volunteer for them, you can do so here.
