India has a devastatingly high suicide rate and this has lead to a series of NGOs and helplines offering their help, just a phone call away.
However, these helpline numbers doing rounds on social media don’t usually help. Why? Because most helplines are unavailable, don’t pick up or are busy for hours.
In order to figure out which ones are actually accessible and helpful, we decided to call a few. Here is a list of the ones that were quick to respond and offer help:
1. SAHAI – 080 25497777, 9886444075, available from 10:00 AM to 05:00 PM, Monday to Saturday.
2. Snehi – 9582208181, available from 2PM to 6PM.
3. Lifeline Foundation – 033 24637401, 033 24637432, available from 10:00 AM to 06:00 PM.
4. Saath – 91 7926305544, 91 7926300222, available from 1PM to 7PM.
5. Samaritans Mumbai – 022 64643267, 022 65653267, 022 65653247, available from 3 PM to 9 PM.
6. Connecting NGO – 91 9922001122, 18002094353, available from 2PM to 8PM.
7. COOJ Mental Health Foundation – 0832-2252525, available from 1PM to 7PM, Monday to Friday.
8. Maitreyi – 0413 2339999, available from 2PM to 8PM.
9. Mitram Foundation – 080 25722573, available from 10AM – 2PM, Monday to Saturday.
10. AASRA – 09820466726, available 24×7.
11. BMC mental health helpline – 022 24131212, available 24×7.
If you or someone you know are suffering from depression, suicidal thoughts, or just need someone to talk to, remember that help is just a phone call away.