July 14, Day 12 of TheHopeLine Tour of 2014
We intended to have a rest day on Monday in Baker City. There was so much laundry to do and so many errands to run, and the heat was so intense, that we didn’t get much rest, especially after staying up late on Sunday night to take a couple of chats on TheHopeLine. But it is not every day that we can take an old-fashioned trolley ride to Historic Baker City, so off we went in the blaze of the afternoon.
Tim and I had two memorable chats on TheHopeLine Sunday night. My chat was from a 29-year-old who could not get to sleep! Her method of falling to sleep was riding public transit, but it shut down at midnight, and here she was at 1:30 a.m. wide awake with anxiety. That may sound funny to us, but I know it was no joking matter to her.
Suffering from anxiety is a common problem with TheHopeLine chatters and callers. Although I am no psychologist, there usually is an underlying cause of anxiety. I soon discovered the root of her angst: fear of dying in her sleep and her belief that no one likes her, both worthy reasons for insomnia. She also realized she had no goals in her life. She was just living day to day with no real purpose or passion.
After questioning her about her life, her support system, and possibly setting some goals, she got really tired and said she had to go to sleep. I don’t know if being direct with her about goal setting and developing a support system caused her to be tired or more anxious, but either way, she got some sleep that night and I soon followed suit. Sometimes, interactions on TheHopeLine result in small victories that nudge clients in the right direction as part of a much larger process.
Hopefully, she will think about our conversation and begin to make some needed changes to lower her anxiety and heighten her awareness. That is what we always hope for on TheHopeLine: that we leave our chatters and callers with strategies and resources that they did not have before they contacted us. We know that thousands of teens and young adults benefit from receiving Dawson McAllister’s advice on his radio show, and through talking or chatting with hope coaches.
Please help make our bicycle trip a huge success by donating to TheHopeLine. Our young people deserve to be listened to, encouraged, and prayed for, and they can’t be helped if the resources are not there. If we could get 1,000 people to donate $100 apiece, we would reach our goal before we hit the Atlantic coast. To me, that would make these 100-degree days of bicycling even more fulfilling! Please help make a difference by pledging today (here’s the pledge form); ALL donations go directly to TheHopeLine.