The number of the Telephone of Hope is…
934 144 848.
Who is calling this number?
We answered 43,000 calls throughout the year 2022.
what did they want
talk to someone
That’s all?
Does it seem little?
Having friends, partner, siblings…
Do you have someone to listen to you?
Yeah.
And listen to it consciously?
Yeah.
Without judging him, say what you say?
Yeah.
And do you dare to tell him everything, everything?
Yeah.
Well, many people don’t have any of that!
Does the Telephone of Hope make up for it?
Yes. Volunteers listen without judgment.
Tell me a call.
A teenage girl calls. It’s in his room. In the dining room, his parents are watching TV.
A very familiar print.
“I cut my arm with a knife.”
What?
That’s what the girl says. The volunteer extends the conversation. Finally that girl calmed down.
But… with parents by your side and…?
Yes, the girl felt very lonely, so lonely that she needed to self-harm.
Or maybe he thought about killing himself…
Suicide calls are increasing year after year. People who announce their suicide.
What does the volunteer do then?
Talk and talk. He knows how to prolong the conversation, and meanwhile alerts 061 to prepare an ambulance.
But… he can’t know where to send it!
The volunteer tries to get the caller to say where he is at some point.
It works?
In 2022 we thus avoided 250 suicides.
They may feel proud.
For suicide attempts we have today the TPS (suicide prevention telephone).
Tell me, please.
900 925 555.
If I call, what will I find?
A peer-to-peer conversation. He won’t talk to a doctor or a psychologist, it will be someone normal, a one-on-one talk.
And then what?
The caller is taking it easy and will hang up when they want to end the call.
But… then he can kill himself…
“I’ve taken eight pills”, said a girl as she made her way to the Mar hospital… She was at the entrance and we saved her.
“He who announces that he will commit suicide, will not do it”, says popular wisdom.
What a mistake! A verbalized suicidal ideation can be the prologue to a suicide.
“Talking to the media about suicide can inspire eventual suicides”, it says.
On the contrary! Today we know very well that it is very beneficial to talk about it clearly.
Do they propose any further measures?
Yes – we know that young people today don’t use their phones… and we created a mobile number to chat on WhatsApp.
Tell me too!
679 333 363.
And is this idea working?
We got it right! We have already had two thousand conversations with young people. Know that there are three million Spaniards diagnosed with depression, and eleven commit suicide every day…
Tremendous number.
The great pandemic of the 21st century is the bankruptcy of emotional health: one in four people will suffer from it at some point in their lives. It happened to me!
Yes? what happened to him
I was silent while the anguish grew inside me… And one day I collapsed. And I haven’t forgotten those who listened to me… Speaking is key!
Any other phone to talk to?
Also write down the phone number of the Fundació Ajuda i Esperança, where I have been working for six months: 932 020 260.
What is the profile of the average Telephone of Hope communicator?
There are slightly more calls from women than from men, despite the fact that there are more men who commit suicide. Everyone needs communication even if it’s with an anonymous person.
And what do the callers usually explain?
Cases of school or work harassment. Or abuse Or abuse. Or infidelities. Fear of confessing homosexuality…
And what is the profile of the anonymous volunteers of the Telephone of Hope?
Varied, and we give them lessons in active listening, patience, conveying calm…
How many volunteers are there?
We currently have 400 volunteers… and we need to double them! Up to about 800.
What is required of the volunteer?
Three intense hours of your time every fortnight to listen to other people. It is anonymous altruism. How beautiful it is to see a society that helps itself!
