– Tanvi Jajoria, Counseling Psychologist and Co-founder, MentAmigo
“If someone listens, or stretches out a hand, or whispers a word of encouragement, or attempts to understand a lonely person, extraordinary things begin to happen.” – Loretta Girzartis
Suicide, a word that’s usually makes people uncomfortable; an act that makes people scared, worried; a thought that usually people are not able to talk about, and when they do, others don’t know what to do about it – panic? Get angry? Tell someone? Tell them it’ll get better? How to help even if I want to?
While talking about suicide can be uncomfortable given the societal stigma attached to it, it is still important for us to face that discomfort and have more of these conversations and learn about it. But why would I, who is/is not a mental health professional would need to learn about suicide and suicide prevention? People can reach out to helplines and other professionals for help if they want, right? Yes, it would have been great if it was that simple though!
For someone who is having suicidal thoughts, it may or may not feel safe and comfortable to reach out to a helpline or mental health professional. The very fact that they are somewhere feeling hopeless makes it even more difficult to reach out for help. But does that mean that no one can ever know if someone is having suicidal thoughts? Absolutely not! Most of the suicides are preventable. All it takes is someone to pick up on the signs that a person in distress tries to give them verbally or through their actions. And even after you pick up those signs, it’s important to know what to do with that information, and how to help that person.
The pandemic has led to rise in cases of suicide across age groups and communities. This makes talking about suicide and our role as fellow human beings in preventing such incidents even more significant. Therefore, to bridge this gap, MentAmigo presents to youProject H.E.L.P. – Creating hope through action! 🎗️
World Suicide Prevention Day is observed on 10th September every year and with this year’s theme of ‘Creating hope through action’, we have designed this awareness and skill building program for anyone above 18 years of age, considering the rising youth suicides in our country. It’s time we have this discussion more openly and address the need for awareness and skill building to save precious lives.
Our Aim and Objectives:
- HOPE: To instil hope in people that suicide is preventable with the right knowledge, basic skills, and awareness
- EMPATHY: To help people learn how empathy can save someone’s life and equip them with this skill. Raising more mindful & aware students.
- LEARN: To have more open conversations about suicide, bust the myths and learn the signs and symptoms to take the right action!
- PREVENT: To equip students & teachers with actionable steps and ways to prevent suicide, to the best of their capacities.
And most importantly, to tell anyone who has been hurting, contemplating taking their own lives, that they can reach out, talk to someone, and seek help! They are not alone!
As a part of this program, we have planned some online and offline workshops (Delhi, India) on 10th September’22 and 17th September’22 respectively. The details for which can be found here. These workshops shall be facilitated by our in-house therapist and Co-founder, Ms Tanvi Jajoria, who is also a QPR Certified Suicide prevention gatekeeper.
What can you expect to learn from these workshops?
- Understanding suicide and mental health concerns.
- Busting myths about suicide.
- Identifying signs & symptoms
- Learning the right terminology to talk about suicide & mental health
- Gaining skills to talk to someone about suicide and providing help.
- How to help someone if they are having suicidal ideations.
- Activities to make learning more fun & experiential for all attendees.
- Self-help tools and learning resources for all attendees
Registrations open for limited attendees only for more effective learning and creating an engaging environment for all. Certificate of participation shall be awarded to the attendees after successful completion of the workshop.
Just like we all were taught first-aid very early in our education as a basic skill when someone gets physically hurt, it is also important for us to learn some basic skills to help someone who is hurting emotionally, right?
