On Septemper 10, on the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day, Mpower Minds – a champion of mental health causes – launched an online campaign “EarForYou” encouraging every person to ‘Listen’ and save a life.
Issued in public interest, the #EarForYou campaign draws attention to the serious conern in our society presently – suicide prevention. It often understood that that suicidal individuals always think that they are in it alone and which is why they isolate themselves, reducing the chances of detection and remediation. The #EarForYou campaign kicked-off with an online video that depicts a brother trying to reach out to his elder sister. The video portrays the brother sharing his mental stress and turmoil through a letter and his sister frantically hoping that his brother has not taken any drastic steps. To her relief, he has not taken such steps and is instead reaching out for help. Everyone is not quite so lucky, to see the signs and ask for help, so the video urges us all to listen for the signs. It could save a life.
Speaking on the occasion, Neerja Birla, chairperson and co-founder, Mpower Minds, said, “Nobody is ever alone. Through the #EarForYou campaign we want every person to pledge their support and help for those who are seeking it. Not just today, but every day – there is somebody out there to listen to you. This can save lives and prevent the alarming increase of suicides in India. At Mpower we strongly believe in stamping out stigma by increasing awareness, promoting acceptance, and concurrently working towards bridging the large treatment gap prevalent in India. Mpower is listening and willing to help. So should you.”
While it is important to pay attention to the small hints and signs of problems that someone around you might display, it is equally important to lend an ear and “listen” to the person who is calling out to you for help. With this premise, the #EarForYou movement is driving people to pledge their support to prevent suicides in India.
The #EarForYou initiative will run through the month of September across social media and digital platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The campaign invites everyone to take the pledge to be available to listen to other people and assist them in seeking help. In addition to pledging your support, Mpower is inviting stories of resilience and courage to be shared on their blog – https://mpowerminds.com/share-story.php. These stories will encourage others to overcome their own internal battles.
Through a rich network of individuals, professionals and organisations, The Mpower Centre and The Mpower Foundation by the Aditya Birla Education Trust aim to end stigma and encourage dialogue around mental health. Mpower endeavours to be The Movement to affect change. It aims to create a rich network of individuals, professionals and organisations to empower people living with mental health problems and psycho-social disabilities. The Mpower Centre offers consultation to families and other practitioners by providing an outreach that helps in identifying severe or complex needs that require more specialist interventions, assessment, treatment and training. It comprises of primary mental health workers, psychologists and counselors working in GP practices, paediatric clinics, schools and youth services. There is a multi-disciplinary team providing a specialised service for children and adolescents with more severe, complex and persistent disorders.
For more information, visit:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/5br57zunMEk
Twitter – https://twitter.com/mpowerminds
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MPowerMinds/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/mpowerminds/
