Helpline soon for dealing stress in Kashmir Valley

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Srinagar, Mar 27 :As stress-related disorders are on the rise in Kashmir Valley, police is set to launch a helpline to provide counselling to patients on ways to overcome their problems.
"The Dial 100 facility is being run by the Police Control Room on an experimental basis at the moment as the counsellors are being trained by experts. The facility for stress management will be thrown open to public very soon," a senior police official said.
Police has roped in several psychologists and psychiatrists including trauma counsellor Justin Hardy for training the counsellors, who are currently undergoing a week-long training programme.
Assistance has also been sought from NGO Kashmir Life Line for providing training to the counsellors who will man the Dial 100 facility.
The police personnel manning the Police Control rooms have also been put through the training in a bid to sensitise them about the issue.
"The program has been designed to sensitise the counsellors of stress management help line, drug de-addiction centre PCR and the policemen manning the Dial 100, as to how they could deal with people who call them for help to cope with stress," SSP Police Control Room Srinagar Javed Faroqui said.
The psychologists and other trainers demonstrate the techniques to the trainees on how to converse with a caller who seeks help for coping with stress.
The Valley has seen a number of suicides or attempts to commit suicide go up drastically.
"At least two to three cases of attempt to commit suicide are reported at SMHS hospital in Srinagar on a daily basis. These are figures from just one hospital and the situation seems to be alarming," an official at Srinagar''s largest government-run hospital said.
Over 100 cases of suicide were reported during 2010 alone. Psychologists have attributed the rise in such cases to the turmoil and strife in the Valley over the past two decades.
Drug addiction is the other major stress-related social evil that has taken the Valley in its grip. More than 4,000 youths have approached the police drug de-addiction centre, since its inception in March 2008, to kick the habit.
Out of these 538 were found fit to be admitted in the centre and so far 244 have been treated. "We still have 292 cases which are waiting to be admitted as we do not have enough room," a police official said.
"We are hopeful that we can keep them away from drugs and intoxicants too as it has become a major problem in Kashmir," he added.