About Online Suicide Prevention Chats



IS IT RIGHT FOR ME?

Online suicide prevention chats are usually open to anyone who is depressed, overwhelmed, going through a difficult situation, having trouble coping, taking safety precautions, or just need someone to talk to. Some chats are open to anyone of any age and any sex, while others are targeted to specific demographics (eg: a Teenchat might be targeted strictly toward teens, a Veteranchat might be targeted strictly toward veterans). To find out if a specific chat is right for you, you should read their terms.



BENEFITS OF AN ONLINE SUICIDE PREVENTION CHAT

• Accessible - You can chat from your computer or from almost any mobile device

• Therapeutic - Although not necessarily as beneficial as actual therapy, talking to someone via an online suicide chat can be a great place to vent and get helpful advice about some of the issues that you may be facing. Online chatting can help to alleviate stress and even help you to put preventative measures in place.

• Free - There isn’t a cost attached to joining a suicide prevention chat

• Convenient - Even if someone else is close by, you can still chat online without them hearing your conversation



WHAT TO EXPECT IN A SUICIDE PREVENTION CHAT

‣ The person you will be speaking with will not judge you

‣ The person you will be speaking with will be empathetic and understanding

‣ You are free to speak about whatever is bothering you

‣ You may be asked questions



AVAILABILITY

Not all suicide prevention chats are available 24hrs a day. If the chat provider you choose is not available, please select another or call a hotline.



YOUR PRIVACY DURING A CHAT SESSION

Some online suicide prevention chats offer encryption to help protect your privacy. If you are really concerned about your privacy being compromised (from trackers, websites, hackers, internet service providers etc), you can simply use a Virtual Private Network (VPN).



PREPARATION

While you can opt to join a suicide prevention chat at any time, it may be best to ensure that you have a few undisturbed minutes, so that you can focus your attention on the chat. Try to use a strong and reliable internet connection.



ONLINE CHATTING PROTOCOL

‣ Try to be open and truthful

‣ Do not be abusive or disrespectful to the person you are chatting with

‣ Try to focus all your attention on the chat

‣ If something comes up that you have to tend to, you should either inform the person that you will be back shortly or terminate the chat





The above information is generalized and may not apply exactly to all chat services. Please read their individual terms to get a clearer view of their personal policies. There are many different suicide prevention chats services available online and no two are exactly alike. Different organizations have different techniques and while they all have the same overall goal, they may go about it in slightly different ways based on their own internal policies. Some organizations require all volunteers to be trained and certified in crisis intervention, while others do not. Generally speaking they are great ‘listeners’, and many find the service to be quite helpful and not overly intrusive. An online suicide prevention chat, although very therapeutic in nature, is NOT a substitute for professional therapy or medication.