Experience with calling helplines

So I was feeling really anxious just now and for some reason I felt like talking to someone. So I decided to call a helpline and it was a suicide hotline because I have called them before in the past. Took me enough courage to call them because of my phone anxiety. A guy picks up and I really wanted a woman instead but oh well I didn't want to offend him. Anyway told him about my anxiety and yeah I stuttered a lot which was embarrassing. He sounds really bored though and he kept saying I should call the anxiety helpline instead. He also said that I should have another go at visiting a doctor. So in the end he just told me what I already knew. And he didn't understand me at all. I tried explaining to him but I don't know it didn't help one bit. Oh well. Have you guys tried calling these helplines too and what are your experiences?

Some have helped, some haven't. I think I need new avenues to seek help.

SteinerOfThule said:

then they tell you stuff you already know.

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Exactly this. I live with my problems, spend lots of time figuring out how to cope with it, and when I cannot cope and talk to someone I get this sort of advice back that I can find with google.

And they don't listen. Maybe I am just unlucky.

Called one of these the other day actually. But i usually nowadays leave it as a "last resort". If you're lucky, like i was recently, you get somebody who's a good listener, not too "pushy" or goal-oriented (being "rushed" is not a good thing when you're in a "fragile" way), understands what you're saying (or seems to), has ample life-wisdom themselves.
So usually at best, what i gain is: talk properly to a human being about your troubles (& "listened" to), can possibly gain some insight/inspiration about your problems/situation (temporary but still a good thing).
Almost as good as talking to a therapist face-to-face i guess. I do "miss" therapy...

Also: Like therapy though, most of the benefits are due to yourself. So if you're in a clear-thinking, optimistic frame of mind, say, then you will "attract" some good results from the session. Moreso with phone councelling (as they don't know you), if you're say "all over the place", irritable, etc ... then you'll likely affect the mood of them, and as such they won't help you much if at all (& may well even irritate/etc you)

I've called helplines before several times. Most of the time, they just listen but didn't provide much solutions, if at all. One lady I spoke to said she is only here to listen, not to offer advice. I then realized that I probably won't get much from the helplines.

I never have called any. I actually didn't know if they even have any in my area. Seems a person would be better off talking to someone who has actually lived it (instead of just reading about it in a book.) Too bad there isn't a line manned by people who have been there. Sometimes all a person needs is a soothing voice saying "it's okay, you are safe, breathe."