- This
foundation is supported by celebrated health guru Mickey Mehta
- It aims
is to eradicate suicide worldwide by 2040
Mumbai, September 11, 2019: Save A
Life (SAL) Foundation, an India-based mental health awareness organization
founded by mother-son duo BansiDoshi and NirajDoshi, announced its
launch on the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day. SAL aims to
eradicate suicides worldwide by 2040, the organization addresses mental health
and wellness concerns of individuals across different spheres of life.
A group of very talented
professionals, including Dr. Mickey Mehta, a holistic health & fitness
guru; Ms. PinkyDhawan and Dr.KiranShandilya, experienced clinical
psychologists; Ms. Shreya Maheshwari, a certified life coach; and
SushantDivgikar, Indian model, actor & industrial psychologist formed an
interesting panel at the event for a discussion on the role of nature and
nutrition to remain mentally fit, dealing with depression, traumas in early
years and related topics. The event also witnessed an entertaining live music
and mime show.
According to World Health Organization there are
close to 800,000 suicide deaths every year, across the globe. SAL believes that
by addressing mental health and wellness concerns which are amongst the most
miscomprehended situations in this era, suicides can be prevented. These issues
are still unfortunately considered to be a taboo in society today. The lack of
knowledge in tackling these issues and the patience required to understand them
has led to an increase in suicide cases.
The organisation's official
name is SALUBRIUM, that stands for
SAL providing U and your loved ones equiliBRIUM of the mind and heart. SAL has
set out to achieve this through a 360-degree platform that will be provided to
people to enhance their mental wellbeing, via the following six units:
1) SAL Productions: Reduce
stigma through books, plays, podcasts, etc.
2) SAL Wellness: Preventive
activities like meditation, dance and yoga along with medical advisory services
to be conducted by a panel of psychiatrists and psychologists.
3) SAL AI & Data:
Technologies like Chatbot, Data and GPS to reach out to individuals and help
them in case of an emergency.
4) SAL Education: Children to
be taught life sciences from an early age to equip them and teach them how to
lead a healthy life and manage emotions through various phases in life.
5) SAL AmbuCross: Red button
for emergency embedded in cab-sharing Apps and taxis to help emergency patients
who’ve tried to commit suicide & whose kin/friend can immediately access
help through SAL AmbuCross.
6) SAL Finance: Guide and help
individuals to clear off financial debts by adopting a proper risk assessment
and actuarial/insurance model. This will specifically look at eradicating
suicide cases of farmers and others from a lower economic background.
Commenting on the launch, NirajDoshi, Co-founder of the foundation,
said "My personal journey of
fighting depression and suicidal tendencies is what led me to start SAL
Foundation. I had what you may call a perfect life, however, certain mistakes
and unforeseen events gave rise to a couple of major depressive episodes and
caused me to make a few suicidal attempts. It took 33 people to help me come
out through this difficult phase of life."
He continued, "My mother, BansiDoshi, Co-founder of the foundation and a maths teacher by
profession, quickly calculated the numbers and realised that if it took 33
people to save my life then it will take 26.4 Million people to save lives of
those 800,000 people who die every year because of mental health issues and
depression. Since then, we decided to embark on this journey to help others
with depression and suicidal tendencies."
At the panel, Dr. Mickey Mehta said “Treating mental illness is like making
dahi. Once the ingredients are put together, it should be kept still and not
disturbed i.e. once the treatment for a mental illness starts, it is futile to
keep checking if it has worked, as it will take time to heal.”
Clinical
Pychologist, KiranShandiliya, commented “Depression must be treated like a disease, like any disease, and care
must be meted out by professionals. There must be a sense of urgency in getting
it treated.”
Mental illness is not just
common among stressed adults but also young children and individuals with
alternate sexualities. One of the panel members, SushantDivgikar, who is also Mr. Gay India 2014, shared his
thoughts basis his personal experiences, "A
child doesn't want to be labelled as anything but a child. When dealing with
children with alternate sexualities, deal with them like children and not with
labels. No special rights, just equal rights so that they are not scarred mentally
to be made to feel like outcasts.”
In order to achieve a higher
quality of life, experience happiness, and contribute positively to society,
SAL Foundation urges every individual to break mental chains that
imprisons them and supportanyone who they know is going through a mental
challenge. Sometimes all it takes is holding their hands,
saying a kind word or just lending an ear, to make a difference and save a
life.
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