Dublin Samaritans encourage people to ‘Unstruggle Yourself’.
An awareness campaign ‘Unstruggle Yourself’ has been launched by Dublin Samaritans to remind people that anyone who is experiencing difficulty, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide can call Dublin Samaritans on freephone 116 123, 24/7 – 365 days a year.
Everyone can relate to feeling overwhelmed or mixed up. The ‘Unstruggle Yourself’ campaign is highlighting that there is always confidential support available from Dublin Samaritans to “find the words to move beyond how you feel right now.”
A recent study found that 61% of people agree that talking to someone is the most beneficial thing to do when going through a hard time. Many people, young people, in particular, are not aware of the support available to them from the Dublin Samaritans. The organisation is appealing to those in need, young and old, to call the helpline and start the process to ‘Unstruggle Yourself.’
Olwyn Greene, Dublin Samaritans Awareness Team commented,
“We hope through ‘Unstruggle Yourself’ we can raise awareness of what we do and help people understand that at Dublin Samaritans, we’re not only here for moments of crisis – but for taking action to prevent a crisis. Day or night, for anyone struggling to cope, who needs someone to listen without judgement or pressure. Whatever you are going through, we can sit with you and lend a listening ear. We won’t judge you, or give you advice or tell people what to do. We’ll just be there, as you pull the pieces of your life back together again.”
Dublin Samaritans offer a listening service, available to everyone, run by 290 trained volunteers of all ages, backgrounds, social and economic groups. Specially-trained volunteers offer confidential and non-judgmental support. For three hours each week, these volunteers press pause on their own busy lives to help others who may be in distress.
The Dublin Samaritans’ mission is to alleviate emotional distress and reduce the incidence of suicidal feelings by offering an empathetic listening ear and support to people and communities in times of need. Dublin Samaritans provided 14,000 hours of listening in 2020, with calls to the freephone number coming in every six minutes. Callers talk about loneliness, isolation, relationships, abuse, and, in the last year, the additional struggles brought about by lockdown. Even if a problem seems small, Dublin Samaritans are at the end of a phone to help anyone who needs to talk.
The 116 123 phone number is available 24/7. Calls are free even from a mobile phone without credit and are completely confidential. Samaritans also provide an email service, a Self Help App, plus a face to face service at the Dublin branch.
If people find themselves in distress or need a listening ear, they can call 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org
