Why?

 

At this very moment, a mental illness like depression could be affecting you, a family member or a friend without your knowledge, and that is the scariest part of this illness. How many of us know the symptoms that differentiate depression from simply being sad? Or know the warning signs of someone thinking of committing suicide?

This lack of awareness recently lead us to missing all the possible signs that could’ve alerted us about our friend going through depression. We lost him to this disease. It’s hard to understand the enormity of the situation until someone close to you actually gives up his life as his last cry for help.

Suicide is the most preventable cause of death. More importantly, we all can take steps to prevent it.

How?

On the 10th of September, WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY, we wish to host an event in Phoenix Market City Kurla, to highlight the need of awareness about the leading cause of suicides today - over all Mental Health.

Our event will not host a number of lectures to be forgotten the next week. We will have people sharing their own inspiring stories of dealing with psychological illnesses and well-known personalities voluntarily sharing their personal struggles. We have Singer-Songwriter Bryan Ernest performing and Comedian Neville Shah doing a piece involving his personal experience with Depression and Therapy. We have a contemporary dance piece by Sumeet Nagdev Dance Academy and Spoken Word Poetry by people who have had first had experience with Psychological Illness and Suicide, amongst other ways that we will be communicating with the gathered audience.

As an effort to provide useful information about suicide and depression, we will have a Panel Discussion involving known personalities along with a leading psychiatrist. This will be followed by an open question and answer session. All of the above performers and personalities are voluntarily joining us on our aim to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention as a part of their own philanthropic mission.

Mental Health Initiative:

There will be Mental Healthcare Professionals explaining its causes, helping you recognize warning signs, the treatment and prevention needed. The week that will follow, i.e. 11th-16th September, These Mental Healthcare Professionals (Clinical psychologists and Counselors) will be accessible free of cost at Union Park, from 5-8pm every day. Any one can approach them and have a conversation, clear a misunderstanding, talk, or even learn how to efficiently and sensitively be the helping hand that reaches out.

What we need you for?/How will your contribution help us?

We need the funds purely for the setup required to host this event, which will be held at Phoenix Market City Kurla. The event is expected to host a minimum of 100-150 people and will take place for 2 hours.

Costs to be incurred will include:

Venue Rental

Production Setup

Photographer and Videographer

Marketing Expenses

Licensing and Permissions

Miscellaneous Expenses

Transactional fees and Taxes

(Incase of surplus funds, remainder will be donated to Aasra- Suicide Helpline. http://aasra.info/)

Help us create awareness about this grave illness whose existence is causing the youth of our country to give up their lives.

We need to know when it’s time to ask for help, and when to help someone suffering around you; we all do!

Our aim is to multifold. Reach out, and help; another or your self. If you’re someone who is going through it, reach out.

If you feel someone in your environment is going through it, reach out. Mental illnesses are the leading cause of Suicide.

Reaching out is a powerful step.