Quit Yet! Ask me How... Tobacco Cessation Program

Hello Friends, I successfully quit smoking thirty years ago, and I'm here to support those looking to do the same. I've developed an easy-to-follow quitting program by combining my experiences working with individuals dealing with drugs and alcohol, my personal journey, and the professional skills I've acquired. I am prepared to conduct workshops for your groups in schools, colleges, or workplaces. You can contact me to schedule an appointment for online or offline sessions. I would be delighted to assist you in fostering a safe and healthy environment at your campus or workplace. write vsuneel@gmail.com 

WhatsApp /Mobile 9810594544 

Breaking Barriers: A Dialogue on Challenges in Social Work and Community Well-being

During a recent discussion at the XI Indian Social Work Congress 2023, Suneel Vatsyayan* had a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Sudershan Passupuleti, PhD, a Professor at the School of Social Work, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. This insightful dialogue took place within the corridor of the National Urdu University guest house Hyderabad.

The conversation revolved around the theme "Leave No One Behind," shedding light on the challenges faced by professional social workers in reaching those who need assistance the most.

The Stigma Surrounding Help-Seeking: In today's society, certain groups, including adolescents, youth, women, and girls, often find it challenging to open up about issues such as non-communicable diseases (NCDs), addiction, trauma, domestic violence, and mental health. The reluctance to talk about feelings and seek help perpetuates a taboo that hampers effective service delivery at the grassroots level.

Nada Acudetox Counselling India Network: Suneel Vatsyayan shared insights into the Nada Acudetox India Network, an initiative aimed at promoting barrier-free health delivery services among marginalised communities. This network emphasises community wellness for behavioural health, encompassing addiction,NCDs and its risk factors, mental health, and disaster and emotional trauma.

Professional Social Worker's Role in Calming the Inner Self: The dialogue delved into the question of whether professional social workers can teach clients to relax from the inside out. By inducing a sense of calm and quieting symptoms, interventions aim to stimulate one's inner energy, bringing individuals into a more balanced state conducive to communication.

Primary Prevention and Engaging Clients: The conversation extended to the primary and primordial prevention levels of intervention. Can social workers treat clients before completing assessments and diagnoses to ensure a cooperative and calm environment for effective diagnosis?

Challenging Assumptions: Several critical questions were raised, challenging traditional approaches. 

• Can social workers help clients in denial about the need for treatment? 
• Is it necessary to confront clients/patient about  their drug use or the trauma they have experienced?
• Is it possible to make a client relax without them losing control?

Overcoming Barriers to Engagement: The dialogue explored ways to engage clients facing various challenges, such as needy and fearful clients, those with low self-esteem and lack of hope, and trauma victims fearful of interpersonal relations. The goal is to initiate treatment at realistic levels, fostering participation and progression.

Continuity of Treatment: A vital question emerged: can clients return at any time, especially following a relapse, and still experience the benefits of treatment? This highlights the importance of creating a supportive and flexible treatment environment.

Initiating a Global Dialogue: This blog post aims to initiate a broader dialogue on the challenges faced by society and the community in general. We invite social workers, professionals, health advocates and individuals to share their insights, experiences, and solutions. How can we collectively overcome these challenges and truly leave no one behind?

Let your thoughts and experiences flow in the comments below. Together, we can build a more inclusive and compassionate society. nadaindia@gmail.com Mobile 9810594544 

हर गुजरी जिंदगी के साथ जिंदगी भी कहीं हार सी गई थी.. An open letter from Nada Young India Network member

हर गुजरी जिंदगी के साथ जिंदगी भी कहीं हार सी गई थी..... 
लत से ईश्वर हर किसी को बचाए।

हरदिल अजीज़ दोस्त,

खत लिखकर तुमसे रूबरू हो रहा हूं। काफी दिनों से सोंच रहा था कि बिछड़ गए साथी से दिल की बात कहूं। उम्मीद है तुम दूसरी दुनिया में खुश होंगे। तुम्हारी जिंदगी का एक मामूली हिस्सा तुम्हे याद करता है। जिस अंदाज़ में दुनिया तुम छोड़ गए वो आज भी ताज़ा है। सिगरेट के कश लगाते हुए कब तुमने भी सोंचा होगा कि एक दिन मौत का कारण बनेगा। तम्बाकू की लत ने दरअसल तुम्हे यह दिन दिखाया।  एक हंसता खेलता परिवार था तुम्हारा। जिसे तुम पीछे छोड़ गए। प्यारी बेटी थी। एक बेटा था। धर्मपत्नी थी। बूढ़े मां बाप थे। दोस्त करीबी रिश्तेदार थे।  तुम्हें आज भी वो  नहीं भूले। नहीं भूले वो लम्हा कि किस तरह अस्पताल में जिंदगी और मौत की जंग लड़ रहे थे। किस तरह से फेफड़ों ने काम करना बंद कर दिया था। मौत एक ऐसा हादसा होता है जिसकी याद कभी नहीं मरती। 

सिगरेट आदि तम्बाकू प्रॉडक्ट्स के संपर्क में जब  पहली बार आए थे। उस मोमेंट नहीं सोचा होगा कि लत लग जाएगी। मैं जख्मों को हरा नहीं करना चाहता। व्यक्तिगत क्षति मगर बड़ी होती है भाई। क्या नहीं बाक़ी कहने को और जिंदगी गुजर रही। मौसम के सख़्त इम्तिहान में जिंदगी का साथ सबको नसीब नहीं।  मुश्किल वक्त ही दरअसल परीक्षा होती है। तम्बाकू सेवन के कारण हुई मौतों में तुम सिर्फ एक चेहरे हो। कितनी ही कहानियां आए दिन सामने आती हैं। रिपोर्ट का हिस्सा बनकर अखबार की कतरनों में खो जाती हैं। तकलीफ से गुजरना ना जानें क्यों एक शाश्वत हकीकत बन सी गयी है। तुम जिस दुनिया में चले गए वहां से कोई संदेश नहीं आता। शहर अब काफी बदल चुका है। बाज़ार लगा हुआ है। अपनी उपस्थिति बनाए हुए है। 

कई मामलों में पीड़ित अपने पीछे कुछ भी नहीं छोड़ जाता। ना परिवार ना संपत्ति। ऐसे लोगों के अफसोस कोई न कोई करता होगा। 

तम्बाकू को समय रहते काश यह लोग छोड़ देते। उसके संपर्क में ही नहीं आते तो और अच्छा होता। कुछ पल के नकली मजे के लिए स्वास्थ की परवाह ना करना खुद पर भारी पड़ता है।

आदत बड़ी चीज होती है। लग जाए तो फिर जल्दी छूटती नहीं। 

 लत से ईश्वर हर किसी को बचाए।

तुम्हारा.....

Message to 2022 London NADA Conference from Judge Sheila M. Murphy, retired

Monica Nada Good Health Ambassador urges Young people to celebrate auton...

Emotional CPR & Spiritual Emergency: Lauren explained about emotional crisis that led to her being diagnosed with “schizophrenia” and further hospitalization.

Health Advocate and Peer counsellor , Vipan Sachdeva asked Dan what his understanding of the term was and if in his opinion it had some similarity to “Spiritual Bankruptcy” Mr. Vatsyayan clarified that “Spiritual Bankruptcy” is a term frequently used in “Narcotics Anonymous”. Lauren provided context to the term “Spiritual Emergency”. She had used the term during training to explain her emotional crisis that led to her being diagnosed with “schizophrenia” and further hospitalization.

An online meeting was organized by Dr. Daniel Fisher (Dan) and Lauren Spiro in association with Nada India Foundation as a follow up to the training conducted on March 16^th, 2020 to discuss the future of Nada Health Advocates as practitioners of emotional CPR on April 9^th,2020 at 17:30 IST. The meeting was attended by Mr. Suneel Vatsyayan (Chairman, Nada India), Ms. Pallavi V. (Project Director, Nada India), Ms. Riya Thapliyal (Peer Counselor, Nada India), Ms. Jyotsna Roy, Mr. Vipan Sachdeva, Ms. Kushangi Roy and Ms. Pooja Choudhary. The agenda was set to taking feedback post the training session as we as discussing the road ahead.  While Lauren had conducted the training last month, Dr. Fisher and the emotional CPR practitioners were interacting for the first time. What is emotional CPR? 

“Emotional CPR (eCPR) is a public health education program designed to teach people to assist others through an emotional crisis by three simple steps: C = Connecting, P = emPowering, and R = Revitalizing. People who have been through the training consistently report that the skills they learned have helped them communicate better in all their relationships.”

“We believe in eCPR to bring better communication, especially in times of distress. We are excited to connect beyond language and culture and want for people to support and understand each other.”

• Dr Daniel Fisher 

 Therapy v/s emotional CPR.

Mr. Vatsayan mentioned how he thought therapy is complicated process. He felt eCPR on the other hand was as simple as getting a glass of water. Dr Fisher appreciated this analogy and added that he wanted to make emotional CPR accessible and easy to reproduce. In his opinion too, therapy procedures are complex whereas eCPR is a simple way of being; how one can be with themselves and other people, how one can communicate better and on a deeper level. To this Lauren added how eCPR is simple and a heart to heart connection. She believes that it is all about compassion. 

“The greatest gift that we brings to another person in distress is, ourselves”, said Lauren. 

Practicing eCPR

Health Advocate, Pooja Choudhary, felt that everyone uses eCPR in their daily lives, knowingly or unknowingly. She also observed that generally we practice it with people we know. “jo humse close hote hain, unhi ke saath hum eCPR practice karte hain. Anjaan log jab apno se hi nahi baat kar pate toh humse kaise karenge (We practice it with people who are close to us. When a stranger can’t tell their plight to the people they know, how will they discuss it with us)”, noted Pooja. Dr Fisher agreed that connecting is easier with people we know however eCPR can be practiced with strangers also. It’s like CPR. In his words, “It (eCPR) is a universal language of emotions which supersedes language and culture.” He substantiated this with the example of a baby. We and the baby don’t share a language; it cries and we try to soothe it. We don’t know why it is crying, it gives us clues, we try to address its needs but almost always it needs to be soothed and eventually we realise what it needs. To this Mr. Vatsyayan added, “you don’t tell the child to not cry, you comfort it. We should be the same way to people”.

Spiritual Emergency

Mr. Vatsyayan briefed Lauren and about how in previous virtual discussions with the health advocates we have discussed self-care, quiet time and our understanding of a “Spiritual Emergency”.

Health Advocate, Vipan Sachdeva asked Dan what his understanding of the term was and if in his opinion it had some similarity to “Spiritual Bankruptcy”. Mr. Vatsyayan clarified that “Spiritual Bankruptcy” is a term frequently used in “Narcotics Anonymous”.Lauren provided context to the term “Spiritual Emergency”. She had used the term during training to explain her emotional crisis that led to her being diagnosed with “schizophrenia” and further hospitalization. It took her 25 years to realise that all she needed was for someone to listen to her and practice eCPR, there was no need for medication. Dan observed how we are all living in an era of spiritual bankruptcy, we are cut off from our spirit and emotions. He said, “This process of ecpr came from my lived experience that was labelled schizophrenia. If I had been accompanied by people who had been through their own spiritual healing and had not been distressed by my own distress, I would not have needed to be hospitalised”. In his opinion, mental illness is connected to heart, soul and being and not just the brain. “We can’t remain mindful in times of distress, we need other to nourish us”, noted Dan.   

Qualities of an emotional CPR Practitioner

Dan and Lauren mentioned the following qualities that a person needs to have to be an efficient eCPR Practitioner:

• Passion for helping others
• Big-heartedness
• Comfort with working with groups
• Exposed to eCPR and passionate about it.
• People who are transparent and comfortable with their feelings.
• If they’re professional, they shouldn’t hold tightly to the boundaries of their profession. They are a human being first.

Separating Profession from eCPR

The last quality mentioned by Dan brought Health Advocate Kushangi Roy to explain to Dan and Lauren how she has been trained in different kinds of therapy and how it has been nailed in her to ask questions, make suggestions and how it is difficult for her to just listen, which is what eCPR is all about; listening. Her question to Dan and Lauren was how to practice eCPR and not ask questions. Dan mentioned how they discouraged asking questions and giving suggestions. They felt that by questioning and making suggestions, one is “serving the need of the society to conform and behave.” However, since she has been trained in it, she could stick to little questions around curiosity and wonder and avoid close and interrogative questions. Kusha further questioned on how during physical distancing in the times of corona, she can develop a connection with people over phone. To answer this, while Dan mentioned the importance of tone, Mr. Vatsyayan explained how he himself disconnect with the world in order to connect with the person in distress. Lauren resonated with Mr. Vatsyayan and mentioned how she followed a similar technique. 

The Road Ahead

Both Lauren and Dan were excited to bring the practiced of eCPR to India through the digital medium and wished to take it one step at a time.  

World Cancer Day 2020 @Nada India

Riya Nada India Youth Catalyst attended "Survivor's Day" organised by Indian Cancer Society on 6th February,2020 at Select Citywalk Mall. The event had a burst of colour and laughter celebrating the victory of people against cancer. There were dance and musical performances by survivors young and old as well as some professional groups who had all come together to create a joyous afternoon in the wake of World Cancer Day. What stuck with me were the words of a doctor from Max Hospital who said, "We fall sick alone, but we can heal in a community. Let's forms a human chain to combat cancer."

World Cancer Day 2020: Cancer Prevention through Alcohol Policy

Alcohol-related cancer deaths are a global public health crisis.
For breast cancer globally, alcohol is the single biggest risk factor.
In total, alcohol-related cancer causes 650.00 deaths every year.

But awareness and understanding of the alcohol-cancer link remains shockingly low and a far cry from the levels of awareness of smoking and cancer.

This is not only a matter of public health concern but a social justice crisis.

It is time to change that and turn the tide on alcohol-fuelled cancer.Evidence shows that informing people, increasing awareness and understanding of alcohol's cancer risks leads to bigger support for alcohol prevention and control measures. This in turn leads to significant reductions in cancer mortality.

We calculated the cancer deaths averted from improved alcohol policy through a 10% and a 30% total per capita alcohol consumption reduction scenario. 

• Assuming 649,840 alcohol-related cancer deaths in 2017, a 10% reduction of total alcohol use would lead to 9% fewer alcohol-related cancer deaths, meaning 57,300 fewer deaths.
• With a 30% lower total alcohol consumption, calculations show that 26% of alcohol-related cancer deaths could be averted, meaning 171,460 fewer deaths. 

 let's start the movement to raise awareness among the broader public and empower decision-makers to tackle the alcohol-cancer link. The returns on investment will be substantial...

Keep THE Promise : Voice of Young People & People Living With NCDs for Policy action #UHCDAY

#HealthForAll   #UHCDay

For details 

Ms Sutapa Biswas   |   Executive Director

CANCER FOUNDATION OF INDIA

47/2D Selimpur Road, Kolkata - 700 031. INDIA

W: +91.8961.313131