Charity

Plymouth Samaritans

Lending a listening ear to those in need this Christmas

While Christmas is often known as the season to be jolly, it can also be a diffi cult time of year for many people. Whether it’s family problems, fi nancial worries or grief following the loss of a loved one, the festive season can often magnify these pressures, especially this year with the cost of living crisis. This Christmas, just as every Christmas for the past 50 years, volunteers from the Samaritans of Plymouth, East Cornwall and South West Devon will be available to listen and provide emotional support to those who are struggling to cope. Norman Holmes, Plymouth Samaritans Director, said: “This time of year can be challenging for all sorts of reasons, which is why it’s so important that we’re here around the clock to support people with whatever they are facing. “It is my privilege to be the Director of Plymouth Samaritans and to lead an amazing team of around 100 listening volunteers who do this work. Our branch is part of a network of 201 branches across the United Kingdom and Ireland who, together, provide an emotional support service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” The pressure to enjoy the festivities can often make it hard for people to open up and ask for help. Norman said: “Our volunteers don’t judge or give advice, we just listen and help callers to explore feelings that they perhaps cannot share with anyone else. Just giving someone the time and space to offl oad can make such a huge diff erence in how they feel.” Samaritans’ volunteers across the UK and Republic of Ireland spent over one million hours responding to calls for help last year and continue to be there for anyone struggling to cope. This winter Samaritans is encouraging people to #BreaktheSilence. Every 90 minutes in the UK, someone dies by suicide, but talking saves lives. It’s time for all of us to break the silence about struggles with mental health, and especially suicidal feelings. Visit samaritans.org/silence for more information and to donate.

Anyone can contact Samaritans for free, any time from any phone, on 116 123 – even a mobile without credit. Alternatively, you can email

jo@samaritans.org n

Want to be a better listener?

Samaritans have a useful guide to starting a conversation with someone you’re worried about. It’s called SHUSH: • Show that you care. Focus on them. The conversation is tttnot about you, so don’t talk about yourself. • Have patience. They may not want to open up right tttaway. Build trust. Allow them space to talk. • Use open questions. A question that requires more than ttt‘yes’ or ‘no’. Perhaps something like, “How are you tttfeeling today?” • Say it back. Repeating back something they have said can tttshow that you are listening and perhaps want to clarify tttwhat they mean. • Have courage. It can take time to earn the trust of someone who tttfeels alone and in crisis. Persevere – it could be exactly what a tttperson needs to be able to share what is going on in their mind.

If there’s someone you are worried about, reach out and use these tips to start a conversation and encourage them to share how they are feeling. Don’t worry if they don’t feel ready or comfortable to open up to you; just showing that you care will be the most valuable gift that you will give this Christmas.

If you would like to fi nd out more about getting involved with Plymouth Samaritans, please visit www.samaritans.org/branches/ plymouth

Alcoholics Anonymous

It’s the time of year when social drinking is likely to be at its peak. If drinking poses a problem for you, help is out there...

Lucy’s story

“My name is Lucy and I am an alcoholic. I got sober when I was 24 and have not touched alcohol for over 20 years. I can still remember the sense of ease and comfort I felt from taking my very fi rst drink of alcohol and how ill I felt the next day. However, it still seemed that alcohol was the answer to my low self esteem and shyness. Once I started drinking, it was almost impossible for me to stop, yet even knowing this I would always trick myself into picking up the fi rst drink. It was a cycle that continued for years and the consequences just kept getting worse. I fi rst found out about Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) from a poster in my doctor’s offi ce. I went along to a meeting and was blown away by what I saw and heard. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. They didn’t seem like alcoholics; they seemed so happy and normal. People began to share their stories and I identifi ed at once with the way that they drank and the way that they had felt. It felt like I had come home, as I had spent years thinking no one could ever understand the things that were going on in my head. I went back the following week and eventually asked another lady, who had recovered from alcoholism, to be my sponsor. She helped me to work through the 12 step programme of AA. The obsession to drink left very quickly and I have not wanted or needed to drink alcohol ever since. I have had a great 20 years in AA. I got married and have my own family now, but they have never seen me drunk. I still go to meetings 20 years on, because when I was new people kept coming so they could be there for me. It also ensures that I keep my own sobriety. Although I am recovered from alcoholism, I have seen that people who stop going to meetings often relapse, so I don’t want to take the risk. Nowadays there are so many ways to reach out to Alcoholics Anonymous. They have a ‘chat now’ service on their national website, plus a national and local helpline. You can also email via the local website. All of their responders are recovered members of AA, so whoever you speak to will understand what it’s like to suff er from alcoholism. Of course, people can also just turn up at a meeting; these are listed on the national and local websites. Meetings will be either listed as closed (only for people who think they may have a drink problem) or open (anyone can attend – family, friends, interested professionals etc)." n

Support information:

National Website: www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk Local website: www.plymouthaa.org.uk National helpline: 0800 917 7650

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