http://www.thebetterindia.com/9108/phone-call-can-save-life/

http://www.thebetterindia.com/9108/phone-call-can-save-life/

A Phone Call That Can Save A Life!

 Halabol

 

 January 21, 2014

 

 Mumbai, NGO

- See more at: http://www.thebetterindia.com/9108/phone-call-can-save-life/#sthash.xiHIbLij.dpuf

We all realize that life is precious and yet every day, some or other person loses hope in life and gives in to suicide. Don’t we all wish to help them during their crisis of depression? NGOs like AASRA do it. Featured today on The Better India platform, Johnson Thomas, the Director of AASRA talks on how his NGO works to prevent suicides.

Life is a war. Doctors fight disease. Lawyers fight injustice. Teachers fight ignorance. AASRA fights to prevent suicide – that’s the theme behind AASRA NGO.

Johnson Thomas, the director told us that Aasra is a crisis intervention centre for the distressed, depressed and suicidal. It’s basically an emotional support service providing emotional first-aid to those who are contemplating suicide or are on the verge or in the process of committing the act.

We started way back in 1998, fifteen years ago on 13th September. A year before that we found that there were a high number of suicides in Navi Mumbai among the student community. This was a very worrying development and a group of people came together to set up this service as succor for those experiencing extreme emotional pain because of their problems they are facing. The service was for everybody and not just for students. We started out as a 6-hour helpline from 3pm to 9pm daily and then expanded to two lines for 24×7 services. Our team consists of volunteers from all walks of life specially selected for their innate qualities and professionally trained to provide emotional support to the depressed and suicidal.

As Johnson elaborated further, Aasra gets callers from all walks of life , from all across India and the world.

NGO Aasra has succeeded in saving 311,891 lives so far!

Mostly students, newly employed young adults, unemployed youth, youngsters experiencing break-ups or loss, recently retired, ageing and alone and terminally ill patients seek help from them. Johnson also elaborated a little on why depression and suicidal tendencies are increasing these days.

The world is changing and changing fast. Especially in India where the entry of multi-nationals and globalisation has set new patterns of behaviour among the middle class! They are left with little time to pursue their interests or give time to family while their desire for wealth and riches and status has grown exponentially. So this increases the stress on the family which is ill-equipped to deal with the changing scenario. The supportive factor i.e the joint family system which kept our families psychologically supported, has crumbled in most parts of India. As a result when crisis strikes, there is no one to turn to. Very often, the spouse or near or dear one is the cause of the problem or involved in the problem hence can do little to alleviate the pain. This has increased the psychological fragility of the new generation leading to an increased incidence of depression and is therefore leading them to suicide as an option.

Johnson talked further about Aasra’s role in helping people with suicidal tendencies.

Along with a Helpline facility, Aasra does many other activities as well. It organizes awareness talks, conduct workshops on suicide awareness, coping skills, stress management etc, visits hospitals, terminally ill care-centres, arranges public events, associates with college fests and events, distributes book marks, writes for blogs, websites and social media connections, provides email service, responds to letters, conducts street plays and so one. We even have events to commemorate world suicide prevention day/week/month, mental health week/day as well as Suicide Survivors Day.

Now that is quite an extensive list and we are truly impressed with Aasra’s bouquet of services. Its ten years of consistent high quality service and commitment have made it stand out as a big and reliable lifeline for many people all across India. It is because of their outstanding efforts in the field of suicide prevention that in January 2006, AASRA was awarded the Maharashtra Ratna Gaurav Puraskar, (awarded to NGO’s, activists, personalities of repute) by the Shiv Sangram Pratisthan, devoted to pursuing, upholding and commending the ideals of Shivaji Maharaj.

Aasra Director Johnson Thomas feels communication is a big support in suicide prevention

NGOs like Aasra are doing a very noble job. Life is the biggest gift and we all must live it fully. Aasra’s team consists of volunteers who deserve a round of applause. These volunteers are professionally trained and supported by internal systems. They come from all walks of life and classes. All the volunteers of Aasra, most of them being students, teachers, housewives, retired folk, young employed etc; are doing a wonderful job.

Johnson told us that their focus in the future is to expand their services by increasing their intake of calls with the help of new technology, provide a toll free number and also provide day care facilities and have a half-way home for people who are mentally ill and need professional support.

We thank Johnson for sparing his valuable time to share Aasra’s vision with us. For any assistance please call their 24×7 Helpline number: 022-27546669. And all those readers who wish to join Aasra and spread the beauty of life around can do so by visiting their website here.

This post was first published on Halabol Voices, which is an initiative of Halabol – a platform for initiating change.

- See more at: http://www.thebetterindia.com/9108/phone-call-can-save-life/#sthash.xiHIbLij.dpuf

Cyber-bullying: Cruel and not cool/MIdday November 29, 2013 MUMBAI Fatema Pittalwala

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2013/nov/291113-cyber-bullying-cruel-and-not-cool.htm

Cyber-bullying: Cruel and not cool

Bullies have always existed, and in the age of technology, their methods have only become more devious. As cases of online bullying grow, we get to grips with its causes and effects

November 29, 2013

MUMBAI

Fatema Pittalwala

Countless children and even adults have known the terror of being singled out and heckled, manhandled, even injured, by the schoolyard or neighbourhood bullies. While home was generally the safe refuge from this menace, it is no longer so. The digital age means that today’s bully can follow a child home, or anywhere there is an internet connection. It is the age of the cyber-bully, and it is a frightening one.

Illustration/Amit Bandre

No boundaries
According to psychiatrist Dr Parul Tank, people don’t realize that cyber-bullying is different from real-life bullying; the abuser is a faceless stalker, which makes it harder for some to handle. She says, “The emotional outcome of cyber-bullying is similar to that of real-life bullying. The difference is that there is no escape from cyber-bullying; it can happen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Media professor Arpita Ghosh feels that validation from external sources is extremely important for individuals. Pic/Sameer Markande

And cyber-bullying messages can be posted anonymously and distributed to a very wide audience, in a matter of minutes. When you are bullied by someone during a face-to-face interaction, you can immediately understand the seriousness of the issue and react accordingly. Online bullying borders on cruelty. The victims in their most vulnerable stage are left to be judged by the world. Many times, deleting inappropriate messages and pictures after posting, and tracing the source, is very difficult.”

Consulting psychiatrist Dr Hozefa Bhinderwala comes across 4-5 bullying cases, every month

Need attention
Uday Vaidya, founder of Munee Consultants, an organization dealing with behaviour counselling, says, “Online bullying is a typical adolescent problem. With changing lifestyle trends among families and individuals, communication between individuals has also changed. Children are attracted to social networking sites because online, they receive the attention that they miss in real life.

NGO Aasra’s director Thomas Johnson says suicide is a result of multiple causes. Pic/Sameer Markande

Most of the time the attention is from the opposite sex and from a stranger. Today, a child constantly needs to be reminded that he/she is loved and cared for. Children are increasingly insecure. With their parents’ busy lifestyle, children may not always receive validation from their folks. Hence they look for affection from the second best thing available to them, ie, the internet.”

Dr Parul Tank urges parents to watch out for signs such as withdrawal among children. Pic/Sameer Markande

Visible changes
Dr Tank adds, “If a child is using the internet excessively, and quickly shuts the laptop or hides the screen when someone someone enters the room, he or she might be doing something you may not approve of. Emotional withdrawal, irregular sleep patterns and other behavioural changes are some signs that tell you there is something going on in a child’s life. Parents have to be sensitive towards such problems and they should make it a habit to listen to their children without immediately judging or interrupting them.”

Counselling consultant Uday Vaidya feels that cyber-bullying is a teenage issue

Agreeing with this, consulting psychiatrist Dr Hozefa Bhinderwala says, “When a child is bullied online, they usually feel alone and helpless. There are no bystanders to witness the bullying and when it is online, it is extremely personal and confidential, and sometimes people take drastic steps to deal with it. Many times, parents are ignorant about their child’s online life. We need to take serious steps to curb cyber-bullying and start being proactive.

Curriculum developer Reema Parekh wants schools to have online etiquette workshops. Pic/Nimesh Dave

Online etiquette should be a part of the school curriculum, as the digital age is here to stay. I have come across cases where bullying is not only done over internet websites, but also over mobile social networking apps, and I come across about five such cases every month. The platform for bullying is vast and not concentrated in any particular website. As there is a legal age for driving and drinking, there has to be a legal age for having accounts on the internet. Until the child is of age, they should share the account with their parents and there should be transparency between them.”

Numbers game
Media professor Arpita Ghosh says, “When it comes to online media, especially social networking sites, we don’t use them constructively. Today for individuals, validation from external sources is extremely important. Posting photos, counting the number of likes, checking and responding to comments are some of the things that give a high or low to any child. We feel that the online world is a safe medium to share our thoughts.

But we have to remember that we are hiding behind a computer screen and the same goes for the other person. I agree that schools have counsellors, but how interested are they, really, in a child’s problem? It is a must for schools and parents to be more attentive towards children’s online activities. I remember my nephew had a spat with his friend. He was so angry; he logged onto a popular social networking website, and included his fight in his status update.

Now, that status was there for a while, for all of his 300 or so friends to view, including the one he fought with. I don’t understand the need people feel to pour out their entire anger and frustration over the internet. Individuals need to be confident and they should not be insecure. The fear of rejection and being ridiculed is something kids, and at times even adults, can’t handle.”

Ghosh continues, “Being adventurous is one thing, but I don’t know why kids today, in spite of being well aware, are foolish enough to trust strangers online. A while ago, a girl befriended a boy and went to a Santacruz hotel, where she was found dead. It is sad to hear such news, but then again, why should you go with a stranger and believe that you could be safe? Kids are smart, but they need to be smarter.”

Multiple causes
Thomas Johnson, director of the NGO Aasra, a crisis intervention centre for the distressed and suicidal people, feels that one should understand today’s social situation before coming to any conclusion regarding the cause and effect of suicide cases. He says, “Today, children are dependent more on technology than on person-to-person interaction. If they have a problem, kids prefer talking about it through posts and tweets, rather than to their parents and friends in real life.

Hence, if anything negative is said about them on a social networking site or on a chat, they take it to heart, as this interaction holds a lot of value for them. When a child commits suicide, it cannot be ascribed to a particular incident or person. It could be a result of multiple things bothering a child. A child needs a strong support system, which should include the child’s parents, friends, family and anyone whom he/she could talk to. If a child is weak and unable to cope, they will take the plunge. Bullying is nothing but a form of aggression. Not only kids, but even adults today express their frustration online.”

Police awareness
Madhuri More, assistant police inspector at the cyber crime cell of the Mumbai Police, says, “When we are online, we rarely realize that we have logged onto the World Wide Web”, she says, with the emphasis on ‘world’. She continues, “Not only children and teenagers, but sometimes even adults act irresponsibly. Everything depends on a single click. We have had cases where people accept friend requests from strangers and then they complain about stalking and harassment.

I agree that all sections of the police don’t understand the gravity of cyber bullying or any cyber crimes. But the cyber investigation unit is trying their best to make sure that all police officers understand the complaint and register it accordingly. Sometimes, because of lack of awareness, they dismiss the complainant and say, ‘account delete kar do’ (delete your account). This should not happen and that is why we conduct week-long cyber crime awareness workshops for Mumbai police. Regardless of rank, department or anything else, all police personnel attend this workshop.”

Simple solutions
Reema Parekh, a school curriculum developer, says, “Bullying is something that you cannot completely put a stop to. But during teenage years, parents and children should try hard to have better communication and relationship. Children should be able to talk to their parents about things going on in their life, and parents should be able to detect the signs that tell them something is up with their child. Children are very much influenced by the media; hence their exposure to these things should be monitored.

Also there have to be stricter laws for bullying, and proper action needs to be taken against bullies. Social networking sites should have stricter rules regarding age requirements for having an account online. Schools should also educate their children about bullying and its effects. To understand the depths of cyber-bullying, awareness should be created among teachers, parents and children. It all begins at home and in school.”

Online safety tips
>> Never reveal personally-identifiable information online
>> Never share your password with other people (except for your parents)
>> Never arrange meetings with strangers
>> Don’t believe everything you read or see online
>> Don’t download files or software without your parents’ permission
>> Don’t respond to inappropriate messages or emails
>> Don’t post inappropriate content
>> Be wary of personal questions from strangers
>> Don’t be bullied into fights
>> Don’t use adult sites
>> Understand that what you put online will be there forever
>> Source: http://cybercellmumbai.gov.in

Recent case
On November 19, a 14-year-old girl committed suicide by hanging because she was harassed online by a 16-year-old boy. The minor took the drastic step after she was tormented and stalked by a boy who posted offensive material on her social networking account. A resident of Iraniwadi in Kandivli (W), the Std IX student and her father had approached the local police station with his daughter to lodge a complaint, fearing that the boy would harm her. The father alleged that the police had shown no interest in the matter, and they returned without a complaint being filed. 

Aasra's Mental Health Week program at Bandra Promenade Amphitheatre, Carter Rd Bandra on October 12th, 4.15-5.30 pm

Keep yourself Free   on October 12th and October 13th,

Drop in for the 'Mental Health Awareness Weekend', 

In an attempt to aid in the creation of a society where there is awareness and acceptance on mental health Aasra along with The Thought Co.  is pleased to invite you  to Mumbai’s first Mental Health Awareness Weekend, to be held on the 12th and 13th of October, 2013 at Amphitheatre, Carter Road  Promenade, Bandra (west), Mumbai 

The primary intent of this event is to aid in the creation of a positive, enjoyable and fun perception towards Mental Health. Being mentally fit is not only for those diagnosed with a disorder but for everyone.

In addition to other events by NGO's working in the field of Mental Health,

Aasra (Director Johnson Thomas) will be conducting an interactive audio-visual presentation cum  Workshop /Discussion 

Topic: Suicide Prevention Workshop 

Time: 4.30 - 5.30

Day: Saturday

Date: October 12, 2013

Aasra in the Wall Street Journal

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2013/06/11/indias-suicide-problem/
Saturday, June 15, 2013 13:53:0 GMT
 

India

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• June 11, 2013, 2:00 PM

India’s Suicide Problem

 

 

By Atish Patel

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Shown, Jiah Khan.

The apparent suicide of 25-year-old Bollywood actor Jiah Khan last week was greeted with shock in India, a country where suicide is the second-most common cause of death among people aged 15 to 29, according to a study in The Lancet.
Of the 114,800 males who took their own lives in India in 2010, 40% were aged 15 to 29, while 56% of the 72,100 women were in that age bracket, the study said. The report’s lead author, Vikram Patel, a psychiatrist and joint director of the Centre for Global Mental Health, says female suicides in India are often linked to relationships, including domestic violence and forced marriage. For men, the major reasons were related to work and financial difficulties, he told India Real Time.
“It reflects the general role of men and women in India,” Mr. Patel said.
In India, people carry out suicide mainly by self-poisoning with pesticide and hanging, which are more lethal than methods typically used in the West like overdosing on non-prescribed drugs, Mr. Patel said.
Public health interventions such as restricting access to pesticides might help prevent many suicide deaths in India, Mr. Patel wrote in The Lancet report, which said there were about 187,000 suicides in India in 2010, the second highest in the world after China. The fact that these two nations have the most suicides is in itself unsurprising given their large populations.
India’s suicide rate is about 16 per 100,000 people a year, the study said. The rate in the U.S. in 2010 was 12.4 per 100,000 people, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while in the U.K. in 2011 it was 11.8 per 100,000, the Office for National Statistics said. Countries with higher rates include South Korea, Greenland and Eastern European nations like Lithuania, reports show.
Through rapid urbanization, India has witnessed a change in family structure, with people moving out of joint families into nuclear families. Although the effect of this change has not been studied in detail, some experts believe this has impacted India’s suicide rate.
“Families now are fractured and the support systems in place earlier are not working,” said Johnson Thomas from Aasra, a Mumbai-based organization that runs a 24-hour suicide prevention helpline.
The confidential helpline, which has been operating for 15 years, gets 35 calls a day, Mr. Thomas said. That adds up to about 12,775 a year. The majority of calls are from men, who struggle more than women to express their feelings, Mr. Thomas added.
“Indian society doesn’t allow men to be emotional… they don’t really have anyone to confide in,” he said.
In a study published in 2011, an international team of health researchers said India had the worst rate of severe depression of 18 countries surveyed, with 36% of respondents showing at least five symptoms, such as loss of appetite and a sense of worthlessness, for a period of two weeks or more.
That study also showed that women were twice as likely as men to suffer from depression.
There is a lack of specialist mental health experts and psychiatric clinics in rural India, where more suicides occur. According to The Lancet report, suicide rates in rural India are about twice as high as in urban areas. The problem is exacerbated by the easy availability of pesticides and a lack of emergency care, the report noted.
Clinics addressing mental health issues like depression have opened in cities in recent years. But there is a stigma in getting psychiatric treatment, doctors and experts say.
“People continue to have a closed mindset related to mental illness,” said Sanjay Chugh, a New Delhi-based psychiatrist who runs his own private clinic.
“Mental illness is still understood as a form of disease which will be ‘fixed’ by faith healers, a divine intervention or through rituals or prayers,” he added.
Also, suicide is a crime in India.
In a 2011 ruling, India’s Supreme Court asked Parliament to consider quashing the law, but no action has been taken. Under the law, a suicide survivor can be sentenced with a one year prison term or a fine, or both.
In a 2007 report in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, Lakshmi Vijaykumar, who runs a suicide prevention network called Sneha in the southern Indian city of Chennai, said that making suicide illegal has proved counterproductive.
“Emergency care to those who have attempted suicide is denied as many hospitals and practitioners hesitate to provide the needed treatment fearful of legal hassles,” she wrote in the report.
“The actual data on attempted suicides becomes difficult to ascertain as many attempts are described to be accidental to avoid entanglement with police and courts,” she added.
Last year, the government drafted a bill to decriminalize the act of attempting suicide but it hasn’t yet been introduced for discussion in Parliament.
“More than legalization of the act, what is needed is spreading knowledge and making people more mindful and sensitive toward mental health as a field, as it would automatically open doors for devising means and methods to combat it,” Mr. Chugh said.
Worldwide, up to one million people die by suicide every year, according to the World Health Organization. In the last 45 years, suicide rates have increased by 60%, says the WHO, and suicide is among the three leading causes of death among people aged 15 to 44.
A post-mortem report said the cause of Ms. Khan’s death was asphyxia due to hanging. It ruled out foul play.

Atish Patel is a London-born multimedia journalist based in Delhi. You can follow him on Twitter @atishpatel.
Follow India Real Time on Twitter @IndiaRealTime.