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Comment by Noseshine | Hacker News Reader

He wasn't suicidal. He just call the wrong hotline.

  > A disabled vet with PTSD accidentally called a suicide prevention hotline when
  > intending to dial the Veterans Crisis Line.

Very first line in the article.

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Veterans Crisis Line is a suicide prevention hotline setup by the VA for Vets. So yeah he called the wrong suicide prevention line but he still intended to call suicide prevention.

As I understand it, and I checked their "About" page to make sure [0], their focus is broader and they want you to call them well before suicidal thoughts, which is why they don't have "suicide" in the name.

  > In 2011, the National Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline was renamed the Veterans Crisis
  > Line to encourage Veterans and their families and friends to make the call. People who know
  > a Veteran best may be the first to recognize emotional distress and reach out for support
  > when issues reach a crisis point — and well before a Veteran is at risk of suicide.

[0] https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/About/AboutVeteransCrisis...

Splitting semantic hairs. The name changed, but the phone number didn't; the goal is still suicide prevention, but with an attempt to avoid the stigma that comes with "suicide" in the name.

It is not "splitting hairs"! Did you read the article? There is a difference between acute suicide prevention and general prevention! You would not expect the kind of reaction that he got when calling this hotline, because they don't assume an immediate case of suicide that they have to send police to without delay!

I would agree that they handle more than suicide response, but I would disagree that they are not primarily suicide response. If you call not in immediate crisis it sounds like they are going to refer you to the closest suicide prevention coordinator. From their when to call page:

>If you’re thinking of hurting yourself, looking for ways to kill yourself, or becoming self-destructive, don’t continue to face it alone. Contact the Veterans Crisis Line immediately...

>For Veterans NOT in immediate crisis:

>Help is always available. Suicide Prevention Coordinators are at all VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) nationwide and work closely with Veterans dealing with mental health conditions and with difficult life events and experiences.

https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/GetHelp/WhenToCall.aspx

so why was he calling the Veteran's crisis line?

Because he couldn't sleep, and it's implied he was having trouble with his PTSD.

Is it too much to ask to read the article?

To follow your comment, numerous veterans un-able to get support locally through their VA office have used the line as a last ditch effort to get support. Knowing you are suffering from a mental health issue isn't the same as being suicidal.

Really helps to read the article.

>On the night of February 2, 2010, suffering from sleep deprivation, he inadvertently phoned the National Suicide Hotline when dialing a number he thought to be a Veterans Crisis Line.

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