Pootytang001

That is fascinating, and I feel like this is one of the biggest takeaways apart from the Fred Phelps change of heart. Although you said that fear isn't their sole motivation and they think they're showing love, the fact that one of their driving motivations is this deep fear of eternal punishment says a lot about why they do what they do and what sort of people they are, in my opinion. Do you still believe in some sort of Hell? Also, when you were with the church, were there any inconsistencies in the belief system that were intentionally never addressed? Like, were there any instances of widespread cognitive dissonance that nobody was allowed to talk about? Thanks for doing this AMA, by the way, you're an amazing example of what a person with a kind heart can overcome.

What's the most important topic that many aspiring roboticists overlook in their studies? What classes do you wish you'd pay more attention in?

Could you give a run-down on how the conversation usually plays out when you get a call? Like, say I'm a suicidal person who's never used your service, what is our first conversation going to be like in varying degrees of severity?

Also, thank you so much for what you do. Mental health is such an important facet of our existence but it gets so little attention. If a person breaks their arm, they go to the emergency room. If a person starts having anxiety attacks, they try to ignore it until it goes away. It's a messed up cultural thing.

Thank you for the response, I have a person with suicidal tendencies in my life and it's been a struggle to make her feel comfortable with seeking help through services like yours. If you don't mind one more question, what is the most common outcome when people call seeking help?

Thank you again. I think there's a lot of fear for people who aren't accustomed to addressing suicidal or self-harming tendencies. I know my friend is afraid she'll be deemed a risk to herself or others and institutionalized, but I think we're gradually realizing that prevention agencies and mental health services want to deal with things as discretely and unobtrusively as possible. The answers you've provided have given me some tools next time a situation arises, so I sincerely thank you for that.