'I'm a volunteer at Lifeline. These are the calls I never expected.'

This week is National Volunteers’ Week. Lifeline Crisis Supporter, Tess Jackson, has penned a piece about what volunteering at Lifeline, the national charity which offers confidential, non-judgemental crisis support across phone, web chat and text, is really like. Lifeline Australia is celebrating 60 years of service in 2023.

I didn’t know what to expect when I applied to volunteer as a Crisis Supporter at Lifeline.

However, coming from a family of volunteers and seeing the devastation so many people were facing off the back of Sydney’s four-month lockdown in 2021, picking up the phone to support Australians in crisis was something I felt profoundly called to do.

Watch Dr Oz talk about why men are 'embarrassed' to talk about mental health issues. Post continues after video.

Lifeline is a national suicide prevention service that provides confidential, inclusive, non-judgemental and free crisis support. The 24-hour phone, text and web chat services help Australians facing loneliness, addiction, health issues, domestic violence, abuse, relationship issues, grief and suicidal ideation. 

Our 13 11 14 crisis support line receives a call every 30 seconds – 3000 calls per day.

The call statistics initially surprised me, as behind every number is a human life. While there are 3000 people experiencing emotional distress and needing support each day, this also represents a change in the narrative around mental health issues and suicide. Opening the conversation and people honestly discussing their suicidal thoughts gives them the opportunity to take steps towards getting the help they need, and this ultimately improves their outcome.

The training to become a Crisis Supporter continually emphasised that delving deep into conversations about suicide with help seekers is crucial, which wasn’t something I was expecting. However, these conversations allow Crisis Supporters to show empathy, and this helps us connect with the emotions of people on the other end of the phone, even if we haven’t experienced them ourselves. Our focus is to connect with the help seekers and not to attempt to solve what they are going through.

Tess Jackson working at Lifeline. Image: Supplied. 

The second call I ever answered was from a young girl who was suicidal. When I answered her call, she was coherent and sounded quite relaxed. It wasn’t obvious that she was struggling, and it only became clear that she was in the process of ending her own life after talking for a little while. It was just after lunchtime on a weekday, which probably isn’t what comes to mind when you think of people in a suicidal crisis. We were able to provide this caller with the help she needed in time, and I truly believe calling Lifeline saved her life that day.

While there are risk factors that lead individuals and groups to be more susceptible to crises, emotional distress and suicide, mental health does not discriminate. Mental health knows no limits and affects Australians from all walks of life. Our phones ring at all hours of the day and the people on the other end of the line don’t have a particular age, gender, sexual orientation, race or culture. They don’t have a specific career, family situation or qualifications.

I have spoken with elderly women in domestically violent relationships, migrants who now call Australia home, people on the way to their successful jobs, teenagers battling daily suicidal thoughts and everyone else in between. Volunteering as a Crisis Supporter at Lifeline has shown me that there is so much more than meets the eye when it comes to mental health.

If you are thinking about volunteering as a Crisis Supporter at Lifeline and feel unsure of what to expect, just know it will be one of the best things you could ever do.

If you, or someone you know needs support, connect with Lifeline by phone 13 11 14 (24/7), text 0477 13 11 14 (24/7) or chat at www.lifeline.org.au/crisis-chat (24/7).

Image: Supplied.