In a bid to elevate the overall mental health of young Indians, a group of young entrepreneurs have launched the country’s largest virtual listening platform ‘Eat Luv N Pray’. The platform, launched by ELNP Foundation, aims to provide preventive care by listening and letting users vent out their innermost feelings and refrain self from heading towards acute mental illness.

The platform ensures complete anonymity and considers mental health the core of overall wellbeing. ELNP Foundation provides research-based emotional support to individuals over phone, video discussions, forums and social media. All they need to do to get started is create a member account on the online platform https://www.eatluvnpray.org/.

The Eat Luv N pray is co-founded by successful entrepreneurs Sonia Arora Sood, Priyanka Wadhera and Manoj Agrawal, with a vision to create a holistic mental wellness virtual platform that allows users to simply log in and talk about issues with trained counsellors and informed experts. The platform helps users understand the seven dimensions of wellness and cover the entire cycle through their Eat Luv N Pray journey. The platform aims to touch at least 10 million lives and create for them a ‘Never Alone’ moment with the power of active listening.

On the occasion of the platform’s launch, co-founder Sonia said, “There are endless numbers of apps offering scattered services, but what we offer is a companion who would offer a curated range of services and products one needs to ensure the mental wellness of self and family. Going forward, we would offer a real-time clinic to provide paid mental health services.”

Echoing the sentiments, co-founder Priyanka added, “Many of us are yet to realize the power of merely speaking with a trained counsellor, who would focus on ascertaining troubling issues rather than advising at every step. They would be well equipped to suggest as to when any user just needs to be heard and when they need the guidance of a qualified medical professional.”

Studies suggest that as many as 28 youngsters commit suicide in our country each day. The realization that there was no dedicated service to help tackle this menace of depression led to the inception of Eat Luv N Pray Foundation, which would be a one-stop destination for everyone between the age group of 15-29 years seeking a constant companion who could just hear them out. This assumes even more significance in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has propelled a demand for better mental health and physical well-being.

Notably, the platform has in its panel a group of well qualified and experienced medical professionals such as psycho therapists and psychiatrists. The Eat Luv N Pray further aspires to create livelihoods for members of the inclusive category. Apart from these, any individual wanting to get trained and volunteer as a listener can reach out to the founders through the platform.

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The world has been in lockdown since what feels like an eternity. It has given every one more time to introspect which has brought up their mental struggles to the forefront. A lot many times, people who might be at unrest mentally occupy themselves with chores/socializing and neglect these issues. But with the inability to go out, the lack of physical contact has definitely added to the feelings of loneliness, depression, confinement. It’s thus important to understand that most people who attempt suicide or die by suicide don’t want to die – they just want their pain to end or can’t see another way out of their situation.

Mental Health issues/challenges don’t occur overnight but unfortunately, we do not talk about mental health aspect of living beings at all. An individual usually goes through a long struggle with themselves but when persistently everything seems helpless, they attempt suicide. The sad part however is that instead of talking about mental health and addressing related issues so that we can help someone, the society is more intrigued about discussions about hypothetical shady reasons behind such attempt.

Suicide or giving up is not an option:

Someone who attempts suicide or dies by suicide doesn’t mean that they were not resilient but it only means that they couldn’t take it anymore and decided to end their life. Being someone who in the past has tried to end it all herself two times, I know I didn’t want to die but I wanted my pain to stop and I saw no other way. Fortunately, I didn’t die, and today here I am, in my designated role as a mental health counsellor, helping people with their mental health challenges.

The things that I have realised from my own experience and after helping my clients who had a tendency to self-harm is that dying is not a solution. Rather it’s important to realize that if we work on our emotions, strengthen our mind, take all the possible help we can and determine ourselves to face the challenges that come our way- Life is actually worthy of being celebrated. Giving up is not an option. 

A person who has fatal thoughts might not ask for help directly owing to the fact that most of the time they themselves don’t know what is triggering them or is spiralling them down. But that doesn’t mean that help isn’t wanted. We need to realize that mourning someone’s death can be prevented by just being there for when they actually need.

Aware of unusual behavioral patterns (warning signs): 

The entire world is a big family and only if we all decide to come together can we make a difference. I’ll share some ways to help identify if someone around you needs help, so that we can, in time, help them by being aware of unusual behavioral patterns (warning signs) like:

1. Experiencing mood swings – depressed, angry or enraged.

2. Feeling hopelessness, helplessness, worthless, guilty, or ashamed or read or write about dying.

3. Suddenly seem calm after they have been depressed or suicidal.

4. Access to harmful things like rope, gun.

5. Turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with difficult feelings or thoughts.

6. Lose or gain a lot of weight and unusual eating patterns.

7. Uncertain and unusual sleep cycles, unusual eating patterns.

I understand, being at the receiving end of an emotionally loaded conversation especially with someone who is majorly depressed or might have suicidal thoughts could be challenging and overwhelming.

1. Ask them if they would like to talk about what’s going on with them. They might not want to open up straight away, but letting them know you are there for them is a big help. If they don’t feel comfortable opening up to you ask them if you could help them connect with someone they would feel more comfortable with.

2. Accept their feelings and acknowledge that their feelings is real and possible. Listen and don’t judge. Take them seriously. Let them know you care.

3. Offer to help them make an appointment, and go with them if you can. Don’t leave them alone – make sure someone stays till they are better.

4. Seek support from professionals, and from other people, they trust including family or friends.

People with mental illnesses or the ones who have had painful and majorly life-changing events are more likely to commit suicide. So, if you know someone going through any of the above mentioned points-reach out to them, check up on them and be conscious of their feelings and behaviour. Having said that you never know what someone is going through, so be kind, be compassionate no matter what. You don’t need to have all the answers, or to offer advice. The best thing you can do is be there and listen.

Arouba Kabir – Mental Health Counselor
Founder – Enso Wellness

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Sept 10 – World Suicide Prevention Day. Suicide is intricate and tragic, but it is avoidable. What drives so many individuals to take their own lives.

Suicide is a major public health concern and one of the leading cause of death overall. Suicide is intentionally causing one’s own death. Whereas attempted suicide is an effort to take one’s life that does not end in death, rather self-injury. Suicidal behaviour is complex, and there is no single cause. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that roughly 800 000 people die by suicide every year. Furthermore, for each suicide, there are more than 20 suicide attempts.

Suicidal feelings are common, and many people experience them when they are stressed or suffering from depression. In most instance, these feelings are temporary and can be treated, but risk arises when people literally attempt or complete suicide.

Generally, people try to materialize suicide idea when a person physiologically not able to cope with an overwhelming situation. Many different aspects contribute to person’s suicide attempt. The most common noticed risk factors for suicide are psychiatric disorders, genetics, abuse, family and social situations. Psychiatric disorders play an important role in the increased risk of suicide.

Usually people with suicide idea keep their thoughts and feelings secret and show no signs about it. Understanding the warning signs of suicide and getting timely help can save lives. But people most at risk tend to give some type of verbal or behavioural message about ideation of suicide like being restless or anxious, consuming drugs or more alcohol than usual, engaging in risky behaviour like careless driving, increased isolation, expressing regret about being alive, self-criticism and saying goodbye to others as if it were the last time.

A suicidal person may not ask for help, but definitely they are in need of support. Literally speaking people who take their lives don’t want to die—they just want to stop hurting. Family and friends are the people who can notice symptoms of suicidal ideation of the person through their speech or behaviour.

Suicide prevention and treatments depends on patient’s risk factors.  But can be successfully treated or managed with medications and counselling. The most common techniques is psychotherapy that is, talking to the person and giving appropriate support. Commitment, sensitivity, knowledge and concern for another human being, a faith that life is worth nurturing can help to prevent suicide. Apart from this, increased education and awareness to medical professionals might also aid in helping the patients to overcome suicidal thoughts.

Suicides are preventable – Effective preventive measures

• Restricting access to means of suicide
• Responsible media reporting
• Introducing alcohol policies
• School-based interventions
• Follow-up care and community support
• Training of health workers in early identification and treatment

D A Kalpaja
Chairperson, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre,
#82, Nallurahalli, Whitefield, Bangalore – 560 066
+91-80-49069000 Extn:1147/1366

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