A quick heads up before you begin.

This episode contains mentions of suicide and mental health crises.

Storm Glassheart is a single mom of two in Arizona, and for a long time she struggled with depression.

One night in 2018 she was having suicidal thoughts.

She was alone, struggling not to give in.

And so she did what mental health professionals encouraged people to do.

She called the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

But the call did not go well.

I sat on hold listening to their kind of recorded conversation or their music for I think

it was like two hours.

It was a very extended period of time.

I remember thinking I was walking back and forth in my one bedroom, Roach, and Fester

Department.

I remember thinking if they don't answer, I've done everything I was supposed to do, I've

called every resource I was supposed to call.

If they don't answer, I'm going to kill myself.

After being on hold for a long time, the call dropped.

So I never got anybody that picked up, I never got transferred to anybody.

It just disconnected after I'd spent hours waiting.

Storm isn't the only person whose call went unanswered.

Most of the national suicide hotline have increased in recent years.

And some call centers have struggled to meet the demand.

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