Write a letter
Many of us need a sounding board to help work out solutions
to our problems. We need to talk to someone to clarify what these
may be. Letting the feelings out to another human being might be
what is required. But not everyone can do this by telephone.
Writing a letter is an alternative for people who prefer to
communicate in this way. You will have the same understanding and
care given to people who phone or email us.
If you need to write about how you are feeling, write to
Samaritans at:
Chris
P.O. Box 90 90
Stirling
FK8 2SA
If you are in Ireland you can write to your local branch.
Every letter goes to a volunteer, who will respond to you
directly. Everything you write is treated in confidence. All it
costs you is the price of a stamp.
What does Samaritans do?
Our volunteers provide confidential non-judgemental emotional
support to people in distress on the phone, face to face, by email
and by letter.
We believe that being listened to in confidence, without fear of
being judged, can be a huge relief and is often the first step in
finding a way to cope.
Our volunteers don’t offer advice, because what works for one
person might not work for you. But we do believe that given the
time and space to work through problems or difficulties in
confidence, that everyone can find an inner strength that lets them
find their own way forward.
Anyone in distress can contact Samaritans at any time of the
day. Samaritans are contacted every 7 seconds, by phone, by email,
by letter or by people coming into our branches. People of all
backgrounds and ages contact us for emotional support.
Common reasons to call Samaritans are:
- Relationship and family problems
- Loss, including loss of a job, a friend or a family member
through bereavement
- Financial worries
- Job-related stress or overwork
- College or study related stress
- Body image issues
If you think you might benefit from confidential non-judgemental
emotional support then we are here for you. You do not have to be
suicidal to contact us. We will not judge you if you call. We
understand that sometimes it feels difficult to pick up the
telephone, so try an email or write a letter to us instead.
Sometimes writing down your thoughts can help to understand them
better.
"I would tell anyone to call Samaritans
because they've always helped me and you haven't got anything to
lose. If they don't help you, it's just a phone call, you don't
have to tell anyone that you've called them and it's all anonymous.
It's worth a try. Even if you aren't on the point of killing
yourself, you can still be going through immense pain and distress-
almost unbearable - and Samaritans are fantastic at easing your
pain."
Samaritans caller
Are you confidential?
Everything you tell Samaritans remains in complete
confidence.
We do not require any personal information from you in your
letter, although we will need a return address. Everything is
confidential to Samaritans unless:
- We have your informed consent from you to pass on
information
- We call an ambulance because a writer appears to be incapable
of making rational decisions for him or herself
- We receive a court order requiring us to divulge
information
- We are passed information about acts of terrorism or bomb
warnings
- A writer attacks or threatens volunteers
- A writer deliberately prevents the service from being delivered
to another person
What information do we store?
Find out about our caller privacy and data protection
policy