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I
am suicidal. What should I do?
I
am worried about someone. What should I do?
What
do you do?
How
can I contact you?
Can
send emails to you?
What your affiliations?
When
did you start?
Who
are your Volunteers?
How
can I join you as a volunteer?
Do
you have special services for those who speak Malayalam?
How
are you funded?
How
can I contribute?
What
is serious about the suicide scenario in Kerala?
I
am suicidal. What should I do? My friend, know that there
are people around who can accept you as you are - people who can
understand the enormous mental pain that you are probably
experiencing now. If you are undergoing distressing feelings of
loneliness, fear, guilt, hopelessness or shame - and if you feel you
might even give up the life you once loved so much; know that there
are people to support you. My friend, you are not alone, you
are worthwhile, there people who care about you. Before you take any
action, read
this or email
Samaritans or contact
Maithri.
I
am worried about someone? What should I do? Very often,
individuals with suicidal feelings are comforted by someone whom
they can trust and who has the willingness to listen to them. The
individual can be encouraged to talk to family, friends or a suicide
helpl ine. An awareness about suicide helps in providing emotional
support to a suicidal individual. Click here
for basic information on supporting a suicidal individual.
What
do you do? Maithri provides confidential emotional support free
of cost to persons experiencing feelings of despair or distress, who
may in danger of taking their own lives. If you think that
your mind is pained for any reason, you are welcome to contact us.
Maithri will listen to your feelings uncritically, with
understanding and acceptance. The friendship that Maithri will be
able to offer to you can go a long way in lessening your mental
pain. For details, see Befriending
Services.
How
can I contact you? During our functioning hours (10 AM
to 7 PM), you can either make a direct visit to Maithri
Centre at Kochi, Kerala or call us over phone. You can
also write letters to Maithri about your distressing
circumstances. OUR ADDRESS: MAITHRI, ICTA Shantigram, Changampuzha Nagar (P.O), Kalamassery, Kochi - 682 033,
Kerala , India . Phone no: + 0484 2540530.
Can
send emails to you? Maithri does not have an e-mail answering
service for distressed persons at the present time. If you
are in need of seeking support to your distressed feelings,
please e-mail The Samaritans, UK. For administrative matters
or enquires you can contact Maithri over email at
maithrikochi@gmail.com
When
did you start? Maithri was started on 17th June 1995 by a group
of individuals concerned at the high suicide rate of Kerala. The
history of Maithri describes the birth and the ongoing saga of
suicide prevention in Kerala.
Who
are your Volunteers? Maithri's volunteers are ordinary people
trained to take care of individuals in crisis, who may or may not be
suicidal. A volunteer responds to a suicidal person as a friend, on
an equal level, with unconditional, uncritical acceptance and
respect. For details, see Volunteer
Information.
How
can I join you as a Volunteer? Maithri is a community based suicide
prevention organisation and relies on volunteers for all aspects of
its functioning. We greatly appreciate your interest to become a
volunteer with us. Click here
for further details on volunteer selection and training.
What are your affiliations? Maithri operates as part of
Maithri Foundation Trust, a public charitable trust registered under the
Charitable Trusts Act, 1992. Maithri is affiliated to Befrienders
India, the India Chapter of Samaritans International (formerly Befrienders
International).
Maithri's vision, mission, principles and practices are summarised in The
Eight-point Charter to which Maithri adheres.
Do
you have special services for those who speak Malayalam? Keralites
(or those speaking Malayalam) especially find Maithri's services
comforting to their perturbed emotions, because our volunteers are
familiar with the unique social and cultural background of Kerala.
You can communicate with us in Malayalam, besides English. Our
services, however, remain the same for any person contacting us.
That is, we provide confidential emotional support to persons who
are feeling pained inside, whether they are suicidal or not.
How
are you funded? Maithri is funded entirely through contributions
from the general public. If you wish to contribute to Maithri,
please find out how you can do so by clicking
here.
How
can I contribute? You can contribute to Maithri and to
suicide-prevention in Kerala by
1. Making a donation 2. Becoming a
Volunteer with Maithri 3. "Becoming a Friend of Maithri". Read
details.
Why
is the suicide scenario in Kerala called "serious"? The
suicide-rate of Kerala is the worst among all states of India.
About 24 persons die by suicide in Kerala everyday and the rate is
increasing. Suicides have become a major health problem in
Kerala warranting urgent intervention. Read more on Suicides
in Kerala from this web-site.
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