World Mental Health Day 10th Oct 2024

#aasra #aasradotinfo #aasra24x7HelplineForDepressedSuicidal919820466726 #WorldMentalHealthWeek #WorldMentalHealthDay10thOct2024
OFFICIAL THEME OF WMHD 2024
On behalf of the WFMH President, we are pleased to announce the Official Theme of World Mental Health Day 2024 - ‘It is Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace’.
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Aasra participated in the Turn.io workshop for Scaling Impact with WhatsApp and Meta AI at #Facebook #BKCOne #Mumbai

#Aasra's #JohnsonThomas participated in the #Turndotio workshop for Scaling Impact with WhatsApp and Meta AI at #Facebook #BKCOne #Mumbai

The workshop included sharing of Real-world success stories: Hearing from Adalat.ai, Rocket Learning and Haqdarshak on how they are using WhatsApp and Meta AI to drive meaningful change in their communities.

Meta Business charter for 2024/35: Driving meaningful conversations with a whole set of tools and features available on WhatsApp and Meta AI

Interactive session on Big Ambitions: Getting a glimpse of what scale means to impact organizations and how they plan to leverage WhatsApp for impact, while setting bold ambitions for 2030.

Collaborative insights and Connections: Providing a platform to connect, share, learn and collaborate on how to use digital channels like WhatsApp to further your missions in Education, Health, Agriculture, Economic empowerment, Financial Inclusion and Livelihoods.

13th Sept 2024 Aasra completes 26 years of Helping People in Despair

13th Sept 2024 Aasra completes 26 years of Helping People in Despair

Thank you volunteers (past, present & future to be) as we march ahead to continue to save lives

Aasra at the Dharte Eco Wellness Mela at Radio Club on 24th Aug 2024

Aasra featured in Local samosa dot com

#aasra #aasradotinfo #AASRA24X7HELPLINEFORDEPRESSEDSUICIDAL919820466726 #WSPD2024 #aasrasuicideprevention #WorldSuicidePreventionDay #10thSeptWSPD2024 #mentalhealthmatters #IASPinfo #BefriendersWorldwide #JohnsonThomas

https://www.localsamosa.com/people-culture/aasra-7058509 Aasra, a Suicide Prevention NGO is Saving Lives One Call at a Time This NGO is working towards preventing suicide in India by running a 24/7 helpline and offering non-judgmental and non-critical listening to people who are suicidal. author-image Hitanshu Bhatt 10 Sep 2024 17:25 IST Aasra In 1998, a group of people noticed disparities in society, particularly among youths and students. At that time, there were no helplines in India for individuals to share their intrusive thoughts, so this group decided to start a helpline where people could openly discuss their problems. “Here, people can talk about their suicidal thoughts, distress, depression or any other mental health issue,” says Johnson, the Director and one of the co-founders of Aasra. At Aasra, all these problems are heard to alleviate human misery by offering active listening i.e. non-judgmental and non-critical listening. Director of Aasra Johnson, Director of Aasra “When we had this thought in mind we reached out to Samaritans - a suicide prevention organisation in the UK, as we did not know where and how to start,” says Johnson. With their help, these people set up a helpline in New Bombay which was only functional for 3 to 6 hours as it was difficult for the organisation and people to connect over STDs and PCOs. Over the period of time, this helpline became a 24/7 initiative. People in need can call the helpline number, meet their volunteers or even write to be assured that a warm, caring, empathetic response is available. The organisation ensures that every conversion stays confidential between the sender and the volunteers. “People don’t even need to mention their names while speaking to us, they just have to mention the background of the problem for us to better understand the cause,” says Johnson. volunteer at Aasra Johnsoon with the volunteers of Aasra This background is then understood by the volunteers and they try to provide an emphatic response which might help calm the person’s thoughts. Johnson says, “Suicide is a momentary thought, it doesn't last for long, so we try to calm the caller down after listening to their thoughts, and hopefully by the end of the call their thought is averted." All the volunteers at Aasra have to undergo a minimum training of six months before they are ready to assist. “To date, around 7570 volunteers have taken part in this initiative and at present there are around 20 active members,” mentions the Director. With these volunteers, they have helped more than 8 lakh people over the years who face mental health issues. Suicide prevention workshop Workshop conducted by Aasra The organisation also carries out various drives, and lectures in public places, malls and educational institutes to raise awareness about suicide prevention. It even provides consulting services on a one-to-one basis to people who are facing mental health issues. They even run a special helpline during the high-stress periods of examinations and results as part of their initiative to prevent suicides. We hope not but if you or your loved ones are going through any such issues, you can reach out to Aasra on 98204 66726 or write to them at aasrahelpline@yahoo.com. Aasra foundation Aasra ngo suicide prevention ngo suicide prevention helpline

Deconstructing the thoughts behind the suicide of a farmer

AASRA in The Times Of India

‪#‎aasradotinfo‬ ‪#‎aasraSuicidePrevention24x7Helpline912227546669‬ ‪#‎BefriendersWorldwide‬ ‪#‎SamaritansUK‬ ‪#‎IASP‬ ‪#‎UN‬ ‪#‎WHO‬ ‪#‎AFSP‬ ‪#‎INFOTES‬ ‪#‎LifelineInternational‬ ‪#‎Google‬ ‪#‎Facebook‬ AASRA in The Times Of India http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=PROGRESSIVE-STEP-Defanging-suicide-attempt-law-brings-new-12082016017024 Aug 12 2016 : The Times of India (Delhi) PROGRESSIVE STEP - Defanging suicide-attempt law brings new hope to life TIMES NEWS NETWORK   Prevention Is Key After Changes In Colonial Hand-Me-Down Sec 309 At long last, India has joined liberal democracies by mov ing to decriminalise suicide.The Mental Health Bill passed by the RS gets around Section 309 of the IPC that makes attempting suicide a criminal offence. This law, which essentially says that a person in extreme distress either kills herself efficiently or face legal punishment, is a colonial hand-me-down. While most western nations struck it down after the French Revolution, and even England and Wales followed suit in 1961, former colonial territories such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Singapore persist with it. “Only 25 nations criminalise suicide now; most have realised that investment in mental health is more useful than prosecuting someone already tortured,“ says Dr Lakshmi Vijayakumar, founder of Chennai-based NGO Sneha and a consultant to WHO on suicide prevention. The law is no deterrent to suicide, say psychiatrists. Sri Lanka decriminalised suicide in 1998 and suicide levels dropped, possibly because of concerted suicide-prevention programmes. There are cultural underpinnings for our attitudes towards self-destruction. Unlike Abrahamic religions such as Christianity and Islam, dharmic traditions such as Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism don't have a sense that god has a claim on life. In Japan and India, suicides driven by honour and duty -seppuku and sati, for instance -were culturally endorsed. Suicide, some sug gest, can be driven by egoistic reasons, to make a point, for a social cause, because of loneliness, material deprivation, physical illness and other factors. “There's no one reason for suicide, it has always been a part of humanity ,“ says Johnson Thomas of Mumbai's Aasra suicide helpline. We need a suicide prevention programme, say experts. Suicide rates have soared globally and India has specific vulnerabilities -for instance, given the large number of suicides among housewives, marital status isn't a protection against suicide as it tends to be in the West. The WHO, seeing suicide as a preventable public health problem, has tried to analyse national risk factors. In India, criminalisation of suicide has meant substantial under-reporting, says Vijayakumar, making it difficult to identify at-risk groups or provide support. A 2002 Sneha study found that suicide was prevalent among students who failed in one subject. The Tamil Nadu government softened its policy allowing them to retake the exam without losing a year. “Suicides halved in the next decade,“ says Vijayakumar. Early identification of vulnerable individuals, and adequate mental health workers are crucial to avert suicide. This is where India has a problem.“There's a stigma around seeking professional help for mental illness,“ says Thomas. There's a deficit of mental health professionals and infrastructure, with only 0.3 psychiatrists per 100,000 people. The Mental Health Bill acknowledges the lack of resources, but “the government must put its money where its mouth is,“ says Thomas. Click To Enlarge