SNEHA, a suicide prevention organisation based in Chennai, has launched Sneha Support Group (SNEHA – SAS) to offer support to people who have lost someone close to them to suicide.
A ‘suicide survivor’ or ‘survivor after suicide’ is someone who has lost a near or loved one to suicide. This could be a family member, friend or colleague. The death of a loved one is never easy to experience. Several circumstances set death by suicide apart, and make the grief process more challenging.
“Survivors live with many emotions and feelings after losing someone to suicide. These emotions could be anger, anxiety, crying spells, fatigue, lack of energy, guilt, loneliness, pain, sadness, trouble sleeping, etc. It should be noted that survivors are also more prone to suicidal thoughts and ideations. SNEHA – SAS hopes to create an open space for such people, to enable them to talk openly and freely without any inhibitions and to make them feel they are not alone in their grief,” stated SNEHA.
How does SNEHA – SAS work
- Group sessions: Sessions will be held once a month and will be facilitated by a volunteer. The participants can listen, talk and share their emotions, loss and grief. They can also share what helped them cope with their loss.
- Online sessions: SNEHA – SAS plans to have online meetings monthly for participants who may not be able to come to the centre personally. These meetings will be facilitated by volunteers.
All information shared in the meetings will be held confidential. SNEHA – SAS also plans to create a website to share stories or any other messages – poems, quotes, photos / video, stories of struggle or recovery – to name a few. Sharing experiences will be a way to let others, who may be in such a situation themselves, know that they are not alone. The shared information will be made available only to registered participants and not to the public.
SNEHA has been offering unconditional emotional support to people, for the past 38 years, to those who are distressed, depressed and / or suicidal. Run by a team of trained volunteers, it is open throughout the year. Their services are completely free of charge.
For details, call SNEHA-SAS at 94451 20050 or email – [email protected] or visit the website – www.sas.snehaindia.org.
Suicide Statistics According to NCRB, in the year 2022, the number of suicides in India was 1,70,924. The rate of suicide is 12.4 which means that every day we lose around 450 persons to suicide in India. The suicide rate for Chennai and Tamil Nadu is reported as 18.2 and 25.9 respectively. It is also reported that for every person who died by suicide, a minimum of 7 persons, who are directly or indirectly connected to that person, are affected.
