HYDERABAD: It has certainly proved to be a lifeline. For 2,465 people in the twin cities, making a telephone call indeed made the difference - between life and death.

These depressed people toyed with the idea of ending their lives. But after someone listened to their woes patiently and with a little bit of counselling they abandoned the idea.

Volunteers of Roshini, a voluntary organisation working with the depressed and those having suicidal tendencies, have received calls from 2,465 persons who were contemplating suicide during the last 11 months. Of these, 1,912 were men.

Causative factors

The major factor that forced these people to the brink of taking the final decision was problematic relationships at home and at work.

Mental illness, depression, emotional and social problems were the other causative factors. Pressure to perform in academics was the biggest culprit in case of students, according to Ranjana, deputy director of Roshini.

"Suicide is not a wish to die, it's a cry for help. It's an ambivalent feeling of wanting to die and yet somehow wanting to live," asserts Shanti, director of Roshini.

The act of committing suicide, Ms. Shanti points out, is a very painful process. "Imagine the physical pain one goes through when one sets oneself ablaze or hangs."

But the physical pain fades when compared to the torture of bottled up emotions that arise out of difficult relationships, mental illness, depression, and social problems.

Patient hearing

These suicides can be prevented and that's the message Roshini would like to propagate with renewed vigour. People being treated for depression also contact the centre where volunteers give a patient hearing, not just prescribe medicines, she says.

"They need someone who can hear, without judging and someone who cares."

When an individual bottles up the emotions of anger, sense of injustice, hurt, pain, fear, his thoughts become clouded and he cannot look at other options and death appears an easy answer. It is just here that intervention is required. "But unfortunately we have everything, but no time," she laments.

Help line

Experts say family members can detect the suicidal tendencies looking out for behavioural traits like continuously talking about death or suddenly preparing a will or casually mentioning that others may not see him anymore.

"Most of the suicides can be prevented if someone can talk to them," says Ms. Shanthi.

Roshini can be contacted on 55202000 or emailed at help@roshinihyd.org.

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