Free support hotlines have long been available to those undergoing mental or emotional crises. When experiencing suicidal thoughts or suffering from abuse, people need to get help immediately, and hotlines can provide a nondiscriminatory voice of support at all hours of the day. In recent years, it has also been increasingly common for people to receive help from texting hotlines. Victims can simply text a number and get in touch with a counselor in much the same way as they would text a friend or colleague. Here are a few reasons why texting hotlines are becoming so popular, and why texting is sometimes more effective than making a phone call.
Popularity, Especially Among Young People
Texting is a very common form of communication for all Americans, but it’s particularly prevalent among children, teens and young adults. As texting is generally preferred among the younger generations, a text hotline may be more accessible than one that requires a spoken conversation via phone. Having counselors available via text message may make it more likely that young people will receive help for their problems. As many members of the younger generation feel it is easier to text a number than make an actual phone call, victims may also receive counseling sooner. After all, it’s easy to put off something if you’re not comfortable doing it or if you don’t do it very often.
Increased Availability and Privacy
Many also feel that texting is more private than making a phone call. You can send a text message from pretty much anywhere at any time without worrying about someone else hearing your conversation. This makes it possible for teens to reach a counselor whenever they need help, whether they’re in school, at home or with friends. In contrast, you may only be able to make a phone call under certain conditions. People typically wait for a quiet, private room to make a phone call, and even then there’s the risk that another person will overhear or burst in during the conversation.
Privacy and discretion in counseling are very important for a number of reasons. For example, children and teenagers may be undergoing abuse within their families, and may have been threatened not to tell anyone. Victims of abuse are also often afraid of other people knowing about their situation. They feel that if their abusers found out they were trying to get help, the situation may only get worse. LGBT teens, who are often at an increased risk for suicide and other problems, may not feel ready to come out, particularly if their families are unsupportive or they’re worried what others will think.
If people are experiencing severe depression or thoughts of suicide, they may also not want others to know about the problems they’re experiencing. Their friends and families may not understand what they’re going through, and they may worry about letting them know the problems they’re facing. Despite all the progress we’ve made in accepting individuals who suffer depression and related issues, in some circles there is still a stigma about mental illness.
The Root of the Problem
Counselors who run texting hotlines find that they are sometimes more effective at getting to the root of the problem. In a phone conversation, people often feel like they need to build a rapport before discussing their problems. In contrast, in a text conversation people are most likely to let the counselor know what difficulties they face right away. They might only exchange a few messages before they let the counselor know they’re being abused by a family member or are engaging in self-mutilation. The faster counselors know what the person is going through, the faster they can give them the help they need. People who text the hotline may have a serious condition, and a counselor can refer them to a local physician or help them apply for disability benefits.
Text-message counseling is still relatively new, and phone calls are still far more popular. However, texting hotlines are a very promising form of therapy for the future. If texting can help more people, it is definitely worth pursuing.