It's seriously offensive when people do that

[Guest]

Hello,

Lately, I've been feeling SO overwhelmed, and probably manic. I have LACK of support in my life, only therapy which you know is so limited, and I find myself needing support in between sessions because interactions are so limited. So as you know, its suicide prevention month, and everyone I know on social media posts things like, "Im here if you need me, reach out", and they are people I know. So when I do reach out to them in the context of, hey, I could really use a friend support right now, they are so welcoming and are like text me anytime. But literally in the middle of a convo, they just ghost me and never come back to it. I understand they might be busy or that it might be heavy, which is why I don't understand why not just tell me! It's so much better than saying "text me anytime", and leave me hanging by a thread when I just poured my heart out.

[2NDFLOOR]

Hey there! This is definitely something that can understandably be frustrating. People that offer to be there for those in trouble have their hearts in the right place and do wish to be there but may not really know how to be there besides saying they are there. So for people like that it is good to use them for a light amount of support as they themselves may become overwhelmed. What I mean by a light amount of support is it would be cool to reach out and say "hey I am having a rough time can we chat?" Then maybe try talking to them about trouble you have with school or a friend, not necessarily jumping to heavy material such as past traumas, depressive episodes, etc. Save that for when you meet with your therapist. During that time when you want to talk and are unsure if you should talk about it with a light support remember that at 2NDFLOOR we have trained counselors that are available to listen and provide support 24/7 at 1(888)222-2228.

[Guest]

Well yeah, but they still shouldnt leave you hanging by a thread like that :/

[Guest]

That sounds so frustrating - they say to reach out if you need them, you reach out, and then leave you hanging. It's not as helpful as you had hoped, and it definitely not the right response after you bare your heart and soul to them! I think the thing to consider is that just like you might be overwhelmed, and maybe that's why you are venting to them, they might also be overwhelmed, feeling unequipped to answer you, and therefore they don't respond. It doesn't mean that ghosting is the ideal answer (it's not!), but it might help you understand the situation from their perspective.