Hold On | Radiolab Podcast

From the Radiolab podcast: The quest for the hightest-stakes hold music of all time.
Two years ago, the United States did something amazing. In response to the mental health crisis the federal government launched 988 - a nationwide, easy to remember phone number that anyone can call anytime and talk to a counselor. It was 911 but for mental health and they hoped that it would save lives. However, if you call 988 today the first thing you hear isn’t a sympathetic counselor. What you hear is hold music.
Today, the story of the highest stakes hold music in the universe, the three men who created suicide prevention and the two women trying to fix it.
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank discussions having to do with the topic of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, there’s help available. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is open 24 hours a day by calling or texting 988. There’s also a live chat option on their website: 988lifeline.org
Special thanks to Dr. Matt Wray, Sherbert Willows, Dani Bennett and Monica Johnson, Shari Sinwelski and the folks at Didi Hirsch, David Green, Jay Kennedy S. Carey and JagJaguwar Records, and George Colt for sharing his cassette taped interviews of Ed Schneidman with us.
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by Simon Adler.
Produced by Simon Adler.
Fact-checking by Natalie Middleton.
Edited by Pat Walters.
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Photo illustration by Jared Bartman
Video by W. Harry Fortuna

[@aftonair]

The intitial hold message/music reminds me of the Futurama 'suicide booth' episode.

[@skymakai]

Where can one listen to or download this 'hold on' song?

[@the_Fisher_King]

I think that first song is probably the last song heard by most people in history. People make fuss about the Hungarian suicide song, but that snazzy dead jazz might be somehow haunted by the sheer number of people that visited it in their final moments, a real suicide song

[@SunniRae-st9sj]

Yup, the one S Carrey did is the one. As someone who has struggled, it is like a hug.

[@alyssao.9577]

As someone who's been there myself, I totally agree. Like, can we make a petition to make this the one?

[@amym1126]

💙

[@isaaccastillo5080]

So it turns out, this hole time the "optimal" song was a meditation song 🤷‍♂️