Everyone says volunteering is good for depression...

January 13, 2010 7:24 AM

Is it appropriate for me to volunteer at a Youth Suicide Prevention group if I'm still depressed?

I have been depressed and sometimes suicidal since I was a teenager. In the last couple of years I started getting counselling and am on medication. I don't think I am at risk for anything now (and yes I have my own psychiatrist) but I definitely still have problems and tougher days. But I am employed and doing well and feel like I'm in a position to help other people somehow.

I just put in an application for a casual volunteer position with a group near me aimed at preventing youth suicide - they were looking for 'back-office' organization and so on, not public outreach. This is obviously something I care about, and I think I'd be helpful in that capacity, but .... is it weird? I'm not very comfortable telling people about my own suicidal attempts as a teenager - if asked why I'm involved, I would mention the family friend who killed herself as a teenager. I guess one of the things I'm feeling odd about is that if someone asked me why they shouldn't kill themselves, I don't know what I'd say. On a really bad day, the only reason I could give for not killing myself is that I've decided not to (not that often these days, but it happens). It seems I should be a little more certain of that before I get into that kind of group. Is this right?

So overall - is there any reason it would be a bad thing from the group's perspective to have me involved at this stage? (This question is not about looking after myself. That questions got professionals on it. If I thought I might actually kill myself I would definitely not sign up for this commitment, that would be cruel.)

posted by anonymous to Society & Culture (12 answers total)

not at all. your experience gives you rare insight, and will probably help withy your depression. you've learned things from your experience, and your desire to help is the kind of commitment that organizations like these look for.
posted by lester at 7:31 AM on January 13, 2010

I think it would be a good thing from the group's perspective. As far as I can tell, many if not most people involved in suicide prevention outreach have been affected by suicide in some way (death of a loved one, past attempts, etc). You have a deeper understanding than most of the people you're trying to help; how could that be negative?
posted by oinopaponton at 7:33 AM on January 13, 2010

I would absolutely go ahead. I used to work on a suicide-type hotline, and worked with friends who were depressed and medicated. If you're really worried about it, there should be a volunteer co-ordinator you can chat to about this.
posted by somergames at 7:34 AM on January 13, 2010

Wow, my phrasing's really awkward. "You have a deeper understanding than most of the general population of the target population you want to help." That's better.
posted by oinopaponton at 7:36 AM on January 13, 2010

I guess one of the things I'm feeling odd about is that if someone asked me why they shouldn't kill themselves, I don't know what I'd say.

Of course you don't know what to say, you haven't been trained in mental health crisis intervention. And, no, nobody is going to put you on a phone with someone who is suicidal and expect you to effectively intervene without the necessary crisis intervention training. You're volunteering, that means you do for them exactly what you're comfortable doing, and if back office work is the capacity you are comfortable serving in then do do that. Your service will be appreciated.

To the larger question of should depressed people work with other depressed people, the mental health field would be a whole hell of a lot smaller if they didn't. Anyone who has gone to school for social work, clinical psych, even an undergrad psychology degree knows that many people flock to these professions in search of answers to their own personal issues. Most find that this isn't necessarily the best way to resolve one's issues, but having struggled with a certain issue set can bring a greater level of insight to one's clinical practice and put one in a better position to help others. Additionally, the big thing in the mental health recovery movement right now is outside peer support networks and peer specialists inside treatment facilities. These are people who have sucessfully navigated the system themselves and been able to manage their own mental health symptoms, and are able to form a bond with newly recovering people based on their shared experiences as someone who struggles with a mental health disorder.

So, yes, people with mental health disorders, who are actively receiving their own mental health treatment, are quite commonly involved in treating others with mental health disorders.
posted by The Straightener at 7:40 AM on January 13, 2010 [3 favorites]

If you're in a "back-office" position, you shouldn't be confronted with the problem of someone asking you that question. I imagine you would have to go through some kind of training first for that to occur. If it would make you feel more comfortable, I would ask your supervisor what the process is for working in that area to be sure that it won't just be sprung upon you.
posted by amethysts at 7:48 AM on January 13, 2010

Are you the kind of person who takes on the worries and troubles of others very easily? As someone who has dealt with very severe depression in the past, the only thing I would caution you about is that if you are that kind of person, you will need to be very careful about monitoring your state of mind, anxiety levels, etc. while volunteering. Make a commitment to yourself that although volunteering is important, your mental health must come first.
posted by purlgurly at 9:07 AM on January 13, 2010

As someone who works for an organization doing the exact type of work you are talking about here, I'd like to share our process around this.

We are very open to volunteers who have had this type of experience in their past (if we weren't, we probably wouldn't have many volunteers); however, we do screen in the interview to see how recent the crisis situation was. The reason for that is pretty simple - we don't need our volunteers being triggered and re-triggered by the calls they are dealing with so that we wind up having to support them in addition to the caller. We've had a few volunteers slide into crisis mode themselves while working with us; it isn't healthy for anyone involved.

Now, you are getting help, which is great. And you want to help, which is even better - and you are starting with some backroom/non public work, which is great - it will give you a chance to be involved with something you care about and get some exposure without being potentially thrust into a situation you may not be ready for yet - both because you're still working your way through it, and also because you haven't been trained yet to talk to people who are suicidal.

So I think this is a really good chance for you to explore things, learn about the work, and discover if it is for you, and if it is ever a part of your life you can share with others.

I have to run, so this is possibly shorter/not as insightful as I'd like. Feel free to memail me if you want to talk a bit further about the ins and outs of this type of organization.
posted by never used baby shoes at 10:47 AM on January 13, 2010

I can say from personal experience that it shouldn't be a problem. You wouldn't need to worry about what to do if you took calls because most crisis lines offer extensive training in this area. I also found that having been seriously depressed that I was able to relate to a lot of the negative thinking I heard from the caller.
posted by jmmpangaea at 10:59 AM on January 13, 2010

I have a history of depression, and currently volunteer at a crisis hotline. I'm not currently suffering from it, but there are certain calls that have been rough on me. Your question said it would be a back of the house position, but if you ever are placed in a more direct contact type of role, just be conscious of your emotions. If you have a tough interaction with someone, seek out support, either from other members of the organization, your therapist, or friends/family. In short, just take good care of yourself. Beyond that, yes, definitely go for it! Volunteering is a great experience, and can help you deal with your own issues while you're helping others.
posted by bluloo at 1:47 PM on January 13, 2010

When I attempted suicide as a teenager, somehow I wound up being required to do community service in the form of working for our local teen suicide hot-line. Apparently, the State in the 80s believed it was a good idea for suicidal teens to work in that environment, because I was not the only one required to do several months service with the local agency.
posted by _paegan_ at 4:28 PM on January 13, 2010

i have to share with you that worked on a crisis hotline and while I've been depression free for many many years, taking those calls was so unbelievably draining and upsetting to me (I can still remember many of those calls) that it just about trigerred a relapse. I gave up that volunteer job because I was not as well equipped as others to deal with the variety of callers and the depth of their issues - I would suggest that you volunteer to work behind the scenes (office duties, outreach, administrative support) rather than dealing with the callers until you are on rock solid ground (which if you aren't there yet, that is just fine). going through the training to work on the hotline, however, was one of the best things I ever did.
posted by dmbfan93 at 5:33 PM on February 24, 2010