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People!
I bring fresh news about 18005990019, India& #39;s first toll-free mental health helpline.
After multiple tries that went nowhere, I tried again just now.
It worked!
A very pleasant male counselor spoke with me for 12 mins. Lots to appreciate. I& #39;m actually smiling
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I bring fresh news about 18005990019, India& #39;s first toll-free mental health helpline.
After multiple tries that went nowhere, I tried again just now.
It worked!
A very pleasant male counselor spoke with me for 12 mins. Lots to appreciate. I& #39;m actually smiling
The only gripe I have is that though I had chosen English as my preferred language, I had to speak in Hindi. This is a problem. Despite possessing excellent Hindi, I stumbled when looking for certain specific words.
But that apart, it was a really nice chat. Simple, but nice. +
But that apart, it was a really nice chat. Simple, but nice. +
Me: "Thank you for picking up."
Counselor (C): "Nahi sir, this is my duty. I am not doing anything special."
1 million points.
Me: "I& #39;m concerned about some senior citizens in my family and neighbourhood."
C: "I can imagine sir. I have aging parents too."
5 trillion points.+
Counselor (C): "Nahi sir, this is my duty. I am not doing anything special."
1 million points.
Me: "I& #39;m concerned about some senior citizens in my family and neighbourhood."
C: "I can imagine sir. I have aging parents too."
5 trillion points.+
Me: "My parents and others their age are struggling with anxiety because of Covid ... "
C: "Yes, they must be worried about getting sick, plus their movement is constrained."
Me: "Exactly ... how do we help them?"
C: "Sir, often, what the elderly really crave is dialogue..."+
C: "Yes, they must be worried about getting sick, plus their movement is constrained."
Me: "Exactly ... how do we help them?"
C: "Sir, often, what the elderly really crave is dialogue..."+
C: "When the bridge between us and them breaks, often that is when they start feeling low. Let me tell you about my father. When I was a child I was very scared of him. I& #39;d never speak to him.
But now he is old. And I have started making the effort to regularly talk to him."+
But now he is old. And I have started making the effort to regularly talk to him."+
C: "We don& #39;t even have the time for dialogue with ourselves sir (smiles).
You know, I now realise that when we go to older people with our own problems, it makes them so happy. There& #39;s this lonely uncle in my neighborhood. One day I went to him and said ... " +
You know, I now realise that when we go to older people with our own problems, it makes them so happy. There& #39;s this lonely uncle in my neighborhood. One day I went to him and said ... " +
C: "... Uncle, I have a bump in my head and I am frightened it could be a tumour.
Uncle spoke to me so nicely, I stopped feeling afraid. And he was also happy by the end of it!
Older people want to know that they can still solve our problems, sir."
10 trillion points. +
Uncle spoke to me so nicely, I stopped feeling afraid. And he was also happy by the end of it!
Older people want to know that they can still solve our problems, sir."
10 trillion points. +
Of course, I was tempted to ask: But what if you& #39;re angry with older people for messing up your life? How do you have "dialogue" with them then?
But I had to remind myself that I wasn& #39;t calling to talk about me! Also, I didn& #39;t have the heart to poke this pleasant, earnest man.+
But I had to remind myself that I wasn& #39;t calling to talk about me! Also, I didn& #39;t have the heart to poke this pleasant, earnest man.+
Me: "Sir may I ask you about something else? You know how WhatsApp has become a factory of fake news and panic-inducing forwards. My parents live far, I can& #39;t ask them to delete WhatsApp. How do I protect them?
C: "(Smiles). Sir I think this also begins with talking to them."+
C: "(Smiles). Sir I think this also begins with talking to them."+
C: "Whatever it is that you& #39;re worried about, sit down and talk. Simply doing this solves a lot of their mood problems.
But if you need more specialised advice, here are (gives me three numbers - one COVID telehealth helpline by IBHAS and two mental health professionals)."+
But if you need more specialised advice, here are (gives me three numbers - one COVID telehealth helpline by IBHAS and two mental health professionals)."+
Every time I fell silent, he& #39;d check to see if I am still able to hear him.
Spoke gently, didn& #39;t talk down.
Understood that while I was calling ostensibly to ask about older people, *I* was his & #39;client& #39;. He needed to put *me* at ease. And he did that.
10 trillion points.+
Spoke gently, didn& #39;t talk down.
Understood that while I was calling ostensibly to ask about older people, *I* was his & #39;client& #39;. He needed to put *me* at ease. And he did that.
10 trillion points.+
This was a quality conversation, with simple, practical tips delivered with a smile that could help a lot of callers concerned about a really big problem. I felt validated. The counselor was patient and mindful and didn& #39;t lecture me. Allowed me to speak.
10 trillion points.+
10 trillion points.+
I hung up feeling satisfied, even happy! 10/10 recommend.
Thank you @RaashiThakran. I may not have called again after the first few failed attempts had you not reached out to me.
Everyone: Save and share widely:
18005990019: Kiran - national toll-free mental health helpline +
Thank you @RaashiThakran. I may not have called again after the first few failed attempts had you not reached out to me.
Everyone: Save and share widely:
18005990019: Kiran - national toll-free mental health helpline +
To be sure, helplines alone can& #39;t solve anything. Eg, existing suicide prevention helplines have a patchy track record when it comes to availability and service quality. Mental health calls for a multisectoral, multi-stakeholder strategy.
But we have to laud a good attempt.+
But we have to laud a good attempt.+
So:
- 18005990019, India& #39;s first national toll-free mental health helpline, does seem to work, even though its official launch is delayed
-It& #39;d be great if people from diff states could keep calling in and flagging glitches to @MSJEGOI
-Guess I can reup my deleted tweet now!
- 18005990019, India& #39;s first national toll-free mental health helpline, does seem to work, even though its official launch is delayed
-It& #39;d be great if people from diff states could keep calling in and flagging glitches to @MSJEGOI
-Guess I can reup my deleted tweet now!
Cc @PatientsEngage @DevinaB21 @drsitu @drempath_ tried to capture the current scene with as much clarity as I could https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="âđż" title="Zeigefinger nach oben (dunkler Hautton)" aria-label="Emoji: Zeigefinger nach oben (dunkler Hautton)"> I will keep checking.
