Don’t Commit Suicide! Instead Those in Distress Call Suicide Lifeline

By
Alfie Dsouza, Team Mangalorean.
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Don’t Commit Suicide! Instead Those in Distress Call Suicide Lifeline at 0824-2983444 or 7338201234 Email: susheglifeline@gmail.com

Mangaluru: Come September 10th, 2018 is commemorated as “World Suicide Prevention Day” with the theme “Working together to Prevent Suicide”. And in Mangaluru, Susheg Charitable Trust associated with The Susheg Suicide Lifeline is organizing a ‘Walk for Life’ on this day to sensitize the community and to generate awareness on suicide and its prevention. The walk will commence from Light House Hill Road-Mangaluru in front of the main gate of St. Aloysius College at 7 am and culminates at Nehru Maidan (Football ground). Students from Colleges in and around Mangaluru, NGOs and concerned citizens will join the ‘Walk for Life’ holding placards. There will be a placard contest on suicide prevention for students and prizes will be awarded for the most creative and educative placards.

It’s very sad to note that we hear about many suicides committed, especially by youth in DK/Mangaluru. Many youths commit suicide either by consuming poison, jump in the well, hanging, so on- due to simple reasons like failing in their exams, or if they didn’t do well in their exams, or due to some love affair. Not just youth, even adults end their lives due to depression or health issues. Do whatever it takes – do anything – to keep yourself alive until you feel safe again. Remember that child you once were, who laughed and cried and loved unconditionally, who looked around with wonder and joy, who embraced life and all of the wonder it held – that is your true state of being, and you still carry that innocence within you.

It is worth protecting. It is worth preserving. It is worth fighting for. Your true self remains in you, reliant upon your choices now. You are the future healer, prophet, activist, writer, poet, musician, artist, lover, father, mother, and creator of a better world. Not this one – a better one. That’s where you belong – that’s why your soul is crying out, every day, every second, so loud that you can’t ignore it. It is learnt that Suicide is one of the top three causes of death among the young in the age group of 15-35 years! Suicide is an individual, family and community health crisis. To reduce the rising toll of premature deaths due to suicide, and to protect family and friends from the psychological burden and pain associated with surviving the death of a loved one…We Need to Act and Act Now!

Nobody blames you for anything. Please, don’t feel guilty. Take a breath. Take a moment to center yourself. You are strong., obviously – you have made it this far. You could go so much further. It feels hard, but it will get better. Nothing in this world is permanent, and you know it. These moments of pain are fleeting, but hold out. Protect yourself, even if it’s from yourself. It will be worth it. Let yourself feel the pain, and feel it deeply – but don’t let it control you. Accept the fear, the frustrations – but don’t let them force you to do anything your soul would reject. Don’t hurt yourself.

Don’t give up. Not yet. So hold on with both fists, with your knuckles, with a death grip – hold on with all of your might! Fight for it! This life in your hands was a gift, it’s yours, chosen for you and you alone, and it’s your chance to help heal, to help fix this dying, polluted, messed up world that we’ve created, and return it to its true beauty and restore the sense of balance that we so desperately need. Hold on to whatever goodness you can find. Hold on to anything that remains hopeful for you – perhaps the beauty in a sunset, the joy of loving your friends or family, the promises of your own beliefs, the possibilities of the future… Find that goodness. Find it in another person, in a creature, in whatever you can. And if you are in distress and need help, there is help available right here, locally! “Life is a war. Doctors fight disease. Lawyers fight injustice. Teachers fight ignorance. Suicide Lifeline of Susheg Charitable Trust-Susheg Lifeline fights to prevent suicide. Please – don’t give up and end your life. Not yet. We need you. And don’t give up on yourself either. There are other options.

Susheg Charitable Trust was formed in this coastal city to enrich life of all living beings -humans, animals and plants. ‘Susheg’ means contentment, derived from the Portuguese ‘sossegado’ which means contented form of life. Building and operating assisted living facilities for those with neurological challenges, offering counselling, rehabilitation and hotline services, educating and sensitizing the community on health and wellness, establishing treatment units for the care of animals, and promoting natural and organic farming are the stated objectives of the trust. To this end, the trust has begun construction of “Susheg Jivith”, a 25-bedded assisted living facility for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Dementia in Kompadavu near Ferar on the outskirts of Mangaluru.

Every year about 8,00,000 people commit suicide worldwide and of these, 1,35,000 (17%) are from India (The Registrar General of India, 2012). Every hour about 15 people resort to suicide in India. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau indicates that suicide is more prevalent in South India and the States of Kerala and Tamil Nadu top the list. In Mangaluru too, the number of people attempting or committing suicide has increased over the years. A survey on mental health and well-being of 1016 students in Mangaluru between the ages of 14-25 years was conducted in the Month of March, 2017 by Roshan Monteiro, Sr. Marie Evelyn A.C., & Dr Lavina Noronha of the Trust. Preliminary analysis of the results indicates that 4.52 percent of students surveyed have a history of past suicide attempt and a significant number (6.79%) of students have suicidal ideation. Providing a lifeline of emotional support to such persons to prevent suicide is, therefore, the need of the hour. Therefore, Susheg Charitable Trust in collaboration with the St Aloysius College Post Graduate Department of Social Work; St Agnes College Post Graduate Department of Psychology; and Roshini Nilaya Post Graduate Departments of Counselling and Social Work is mobilizing concerned citizens and organizations have set up such a Lifeline in Mangaluru, named Susheg LifeLine.

The main goal of the Suicide Lifeline is to prevent suicide and promote mental health and well-being- and their Objectives are: To establish and operate a suicide prevention lifeline in Mangaluru; To train volunteers to assist those in distress through the suicide lifeline and prevent suicide; To conduct awareness programs on mental health for educational institutions-administrators, faculty, parents and student leaders; To sensitize the community on mental well-being and suicide prevention through various programmes; To publish literature on mental health and well-being in English and for the benefit of the general public in local languages.

The Lifeline established in October 2017, has been publicizing and bringing awareness on Suicide through Social Media Networks, local Television Channels, News Networks, digital and print media. Those in distress are encouraged to call the life line- 0824 2983444 which is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Professionally trained multilingual operators with excellent communication skills are in the front line recipients of the distress calls. The call will immediately be transferred to a trained volunteer who will respond and assist the caller according to the protocol.

Volunteers trained in suicide prevention are working in shifts and be available for response 24×7. There will be one back up clinician available for consultation and assistance to the volunteers. If lethality is assessed to be high, the volunteer will consult the backup clinician and the phone line coordinator who will make arrangements for immediate intervention, evacuation and/or emergency medical assistance. Police assistance will be sought by the clinical supervisor/operator whenever needed. The entire process will remain confidential. Call Logs will be maintained. A Resource Directory will be made available to the volunteers to aid in referrals.

A team of clinicians -Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Psychiatric Social Workers, Counsellors and volunteers are involved in awareness generation programs in educational institutions and community-based organizations. Concerned citizens have also joined hands already. District Administration and the Police Department have assured their support. Nearly 50 volunteers have been trained in suicide prevention and telephone Intervention. A Resource Manual of essential services and resources is available in the community. Modules for sensitizing the community-schools, colleges, NGOs on suicide prevention and promotion of mental health are also prepared. Additionally, School and College faculty are trained in identifying students at risk so that they can receive timely assistance and intervention.

But to run The Suicide Lifeline, it requires funds for its operations, which adds up to around Rs 15 lakhs. So the Trust is making an Appeal for funds: You can help them save lives, young or old by volunteering your resources – material, time presence and abilities – and /or you could contribute to this noble life-saving initiative specifically towards items listed above or generally as a part of the budgetary requirement.

Donations are eligible for Tax Exemption under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act 1961 vide CIT(E)BLR/80G/MNG-217/AAOTS72683/2014-15. Please remit your contributions to Susheg Charitable Trust – Susheg Lifeline through its Corporation Bank. Account information: Account Name: Susheg Charitable Trust-Susheg Lifeline; Account No: 520101022731532; IFSC Code: CORP0003506; Address: Corporation Bank, Narmada Building, Falnir Road, Mangaluru – 575 001; Pan Number: AAOTS72683. The Susheg Charitable Trust is also looking for more partners like institutions (Education, Medical, NGO’s, Media Houses) and individuals to partner with it to provide Health Care facilities, Awareness, Consultancy and Logistics. Those who can, please join hands to make a difference!

Read about the new Susheg Jivith Neuro Care: http://www.mangalorean.com/s-o-s-susheg-charitable-trust-needs-help-to-build-new-susheg-jivith-neuro-care/

SUICIDE LIFELINE (A unit of Susheg Charitable Trust (Regd.)

Aasare Women’s Foundation, Vishwas Crown Basement, Old Bypass Road, Mangaluru-575002

(Ph): 0824-2983444; 73382 01234 Email : susheglifeline@gmail.com

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