Every 7 seconds Samaritans answer a call for help. Our service is confidential so the calls described here are illustrations of the sort of conversations a volunteer may have during a shift. They are not descriptions of specific calls.
My name is Jenny, and I am a Samaritans Listening Volunteer, based at the Bognor Regis, Chichester & District Branch. I’m just getting ready to head off for my weekly three-hour shift.
The A27 is being kind at this time of day. No major delays and I find a parking space within yards of the branch. Yay! It’s quiet when I enter, so I head towards the kitchen, wash hands (COVID-19!) and put the kettle on.
I’m happy to be sharing the shift with Charlie. We are never alone on a shift we always have a shift partner and a leader who provides support and advice from home. Charlie is an experienced volunteer of many years, a supportive partner and it’s a bonus to be able to exchange theatre, film and book reviews.
We take our teas into the Duty Room and I ‘log on’ ready to respond. I start the shift by responding to an email. It’s from someone who says they have attempted to take their life in the past and have suicidal thoughts. They contact us when it all gets too much, to talk through what is on their mind. They find it easier to do that through e mails rather than on the phone.
Phone calls seem to be building up, so I switch to the phone line and speak to someone who starts by quietly apologising for troubling us. I reassure him that he is not troubling us. He is lonely and misses his partner who died a few years ago. COVID-19 restrictions have left him feeling even more isolated. We talk and I try to give him time, empathy and my undivided attention. After talking for a while, he says he is feeling a bit better and he thanks me for being there.
Then a call from a student who is finding life difficult away from home for the first time. She was expecting to have the ‘time of her life’ and instead feels depressed and lonely. She has been tempted to start self-harming again. She doesn’t feel able to talk to her new friends about how she feels and is reluctant to seek help from the University services. I reassure her and we talk about how she is feeling and explore what she might want to do to get the support she needs.
The phone soon rings again and this time the caller sounds very wound up. They explain that they suffer from autism so sometimes find it hard to connect with other people. Someone shouted at them in a shop today and that has left them feeling very anxious and angry. They need to talk to try and calm down. We talk and gradually their voice is calmer.
As the call ends, Charlie, my fellow Samaritan, looks through the glass partition and holds up his mug at just the right time. Yes please! During a biscuit break, he tells me about his calls. One was from a prisoner who, because of COVID-19 restrictions has not been able to see his children for some months. He has talked to them by phone but it’s not the same.
A few more calls and emails and its then time to talk to the ‘Shift Leader’. Talking through my calls at the end of the shift is vital if I am not to take them home with me.
Some of the calls can be demanding or challenging but occasionally a caller will end the call with a heartfelt ’thank you’. I feel proud and privileged to be part of this long-established family called Samaritans and especially to have been here for our callers throughout this difficult year.
Time to go home…the A27 is clear! My next shift is in 5 days’ time. Time to wind down, I wonder what’s on the telly?