COVID-19 scare doubled calls to suicide prevention helpline

Fear of contracting COVID19 anxiety and uncertainty due to the pandemic caused such a huge emotional distress that the number of calls received by suicide prevention helplines of a NGO here doubled during the lockdownRoshni which gives emotional support to the depressed received 5060 calls per day since the lockdown began in March till June against 2530 before the lockdown as people reached out to the NGO due to phobias depression anxiety uncertainty and financial distress caused by the lockdownThe period also saw the helplines of the suicide intervention centre receiving distress calls from those who lost their jobs or those fearing job loss students confined to their homes and housewives who became victims of domestic violence and sexual abuseRoshni Director T Ushasree told IANS that this was unprecedented for the organisation as it used to get maximum number of calls in a year during the examsThe calls during lockdown were mainly due to fear of corona she said The questions were like What if I am infected What will happen to my family members Will I be isolated at home or will I be taken to hospital How is the hospital atmosphere Will I come back or will I die Then there were calls asking how long will this continue or will things ever get back to normalShe pointed out that it was all the more difficult for students as they were sitting at home with no friends and no games and sports due to closure of schoolsFor housewives it became a very big task All family members staying at home 24x7 for so many days caused a lot of friction among themselves and they couldnt show it to anybody else but the housewife They had a lot of work handling the children and the spouses We also got complaints of domestic violence and sexual abuse she saidUshasree said people are still struggling because of loss of income uncertainty about jobs financial problems due to commitments like house and vehicle loans and childrens educationThis problem is faced by people all over the world All they need is a person with whom they can share she saidThis is how Roshni has been working as suicide intervention centre for last 23 years providing emotional support to the depressedWith 70 volunteers the NGO is extending support to the depressed and suicidal providing free and confidential service through helpline numbers 0406620 20001Though working remotely due to Covid its office in Secunderabad is otherwise always open for those who are comfortable talking face to face It can also be reached over email at roshnihelpgmailcomThe only NGO working for suicide prevention for both the Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Roshni is a member of Befrienders Worldwide an international organisation recognised by the United NationsNo situation or feeling is permanent and this applies to suicidal feelings also It is a fact that if a suicidal person is supported for 36 to 48 hours the feelings will pass That is a crucial time when a person needs support Many people would not commit suicide if they had someone who could listen to them says the NGO chief who believes that suicide is not a wish to die but a cry for helpOnce a person unburdens himself by sharing his pain he feels light We make them think We dont give solution to anyone The solution should come from the caller himself We discuss various options or choices available to the caller depending on their resources and their support systemsTo call Roshini one need not be depressed or suicidal also Any emotional distress at that point of time when they feel like talking or sharing with someone they can just call us because nowadays nobody has time for another person We are here to listen to them said UshasreeOver 800000 people commit suicide annually around the world This means one person dies by suicide every 40 secondsIn India 139123 suicides happened in 2019 This is excluding the attempted and unreported ones For every one suicide 25 people make a suicide attempt and many more have serious thoughts of suicide On an average 135 people are affected by each suicide deathIn Telangana 7675 people died by suicide in 2019 Family disputes are said to be the primary cause The other causes include financial health relationship and education stressKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest newsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever