With lots of recent teen suicides1 in the US, it is hard not to wonder if something could have been done to prevent them. Where can a person turn for help if they have an emotionalcrisis or have reached the breaking point2? The answer lies in hotlines3. These are special phone numbers that people can call if they need emergency counseling4 immediately. Most are available 24 hours a day and have trained volunteers and professional counselors.
美國近來青少年的自殺案例頻傳,
The first crisis hotlines were created to help individuals thinking about committing suicide. An English priest named Chad Varah realized the need to reach out after he attended a funeral for a 14-year-old girl. She killed herself because she feared that she had gotten a sexuallytransmitted disease when she experienced her first period5. That had changed Varah's life, and in 1953, he founded The Samaritans6 to help those that had nowhere else to turn. The servicecaught on and spread throughout the UK, into the US, and even to Australia and Tasmania.
史上第一組緊急專線是設立來幫助有自殺念頭的人。一位名叫查德‧
By the mid-1970s, suicide hotlines existed in most major cities in the US. Now, many of them have expanded their services to help people with all kinds of emotional crises. There are hotlines for runaway children, victims of domestic violence, and people dealing with gender identity issues. The good thing is that these crisis hotlines have toll-free7 numbers, which means callers can get the help they need for free.
到了1970年代中期,自殺防治專線(編按:現今亦稱生命線)
沒有留言:
張貼留言