The Lifeline for Individuals with Suicidal Thoughts and Survivors: AK Leben Freiburg Since 1977

The message from Oliver P.* (57) is clear: “Talking helps.” He adds: “That sounds banal, and of course the problems are not yet solved.” But in his experience, crises cannot be overcome without someone to talk to. And just anyone is not enough either: if friends throw their hands up in horror or look concerned because the topic of suicide scares them, that doesn’t help much.

Overwhelmed Psychotherapists

He has experienced that. Just like psychotherapists who were overwhelmed or behaved unreliably – even though they were professionals. Oliver P. lives with recurring depressive episodes. Early experiences of loss in his childhood traumatized him, in addition to which he had to witness suicides in his immediate surroundings. In his depressive phases he has no appetite, concentration and sleep disorders and hardly manages to work. Sometimes what he feels then goes “to the edge of the bearable,” he says.

In the mid-1990s, in his late 20s, he came to AK for the first time. At that time, a slightly older man was placed with him as a volunteer companion, whom he met mostly once a month for two years. After that he got along on his own for a long time. But three years ago, Oliver P. suddenly lost his job – again he fell into a major crisis, and again he sought help from the AK Leben. This time he is accompanied by Stefan Hannen, the head of AK Leben.

The churches help

Because in addition to currently almost 60 volunteers, five socio-pedagogical specialists with additional training, who share 3.2 full-time positions, also help out. In addition, the specialists are responsible for the overall coordination, the support of the volunteers and the offers for the survivors of suicide.

The AK Leben is supported by an association of the same name, whose members and founders are the Catholic parish of Freiburg, the Caritas associations of Freiburg and the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, the AGJ specialist association, IN VIA – Association for Catholic Girls’ Social Work, the SKM Freiburg – Catholic Association for Social Services and the SKF – Catholic Women’s Social Service. In addition, the association also offers the online counseling project U25, especially for young people under 25 years of age.

The initial inquiries are increasing

The need is growing in all areas: The initial inquiries from adults in crises have risen from 171 initial inquiries in 2020 to 381 initial contacts in 2022, says Stefan Hannen. In the past year, there were times when no more people seeking help could have been accepted. If more volunteers could be found for crisis support, the full-time employees would also need more capacity to look after them. All crisis counselors are trained for half a year, similar to the leaders of the two bereaved groups at the moment. New courses for leading these groups will start in the autumn. The inquiries from the bereaved have recently doubled from 33 to 60 in 2022, says Stefan Hannen.

Shaky funding

It is all the more problematic that the financing is never permanently secured. The annual budget of 250,000 euros is currently made up as follows: the city of Freiburg finances 40 percent, the districts of Emmendingen and Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald together five percent, 20 percent comes from the state and around 15 percent from the federal government especially for U25. Exactly this federal funding of around 38,000 euros will expire at the end of 2024. About half of the rest of the funding comes from church taxes and half from donations.

A network is important

In addition to AK Leben, Oliver P. has always used other options: treatments in psychosomatic clinics, psychotherapy and psychotropic drugs. He has experienced how important it is for people in existential need to create a network instead of being solely dependent on one person or position – especially because specialists have disappointed him several times: He has the companions from AK Leben as experienced more authentically and reliably, he says. And with them he never had to be afraid of being admitted to a psychiatric ward if he spoke openly about his suicidal thoughts.

At AK Leben, everyone could deal with it and assess the risk, says Stefan Hannen. The goal: to build a relationship with the person in need and to work with those parts of the person that want to live on. Oliver P. is doing much better now – he has also found a new job. * Name changed

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