Intel for Mental Health

About 6 months ago, my colleague ran an FB campaign to test if it would be the right channel for us to reach patients who may be terminally or critically ill.

Out of the 8, we ended up speaking to 2 who spoke about suicide.

One of them was so suicidal that I immediately tried putting him across to a plethora of suicide helplines in his location and later his state.

Most did not take the calls. For some the lines didn't work.

I got flashbacks of a good friend in Singapore who's brother used to be extremely suicidal.

We couldn't find a way to work together in time and he ended up killing himself in the most gruesome way.

We never got a fair shot at helping him.

The regret still haunts me.

I tried to find an NGO or someone who can help at his location to no avail.

I figured I might as well speak to him to figure out what's going on.

A simple man working in a bakery earning the equivalent of $180 per month and supporting a family of 5 as the sole breadwinner.

He was extremely suicidal over the previous 2 months.

The causes are often complex and multifactorial while there could potentially be some direct triggers.

I did what I would do for a paying client as much as possible.

And I did it remotely. It took me 3+ weeks to gather the necessary insights for his case.

The insights came from someone who taught a nobel laureate.

But I had lost precious 3+ weeks.

By which time he had gotten worse in his ideation even more.

Acting on the insights was tedious and expensive but had to be done.

My CFO/advisor was not happy with me spending my own money and time, especially when we were in early stages of our startup.

These things do take a lot of out of you.

But here's the good news:

From the 3rd day of his starting on the suggestions

- No suicidal ideation

- No insomnia

- Good sense of well being

It's been more than 4 months since and I'm in touch with him regularly.

There are certainly other issues he needs help with.

They relate to smoking, stress, weight, diet etc.

But suicidal ideation is not one of them.

I hope to meet him when I am in his town soon.

PS: My advisor is a busy executive in healthcare but took the time to witness what unfolded from the start to the end, is so happy I did not listen, and is now a more vocal advocate of our work.

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We offer something very interesting in healthcare and it does not constitute medical, legal or financial advice.

It is private intel.

A report that is not standardised for mass replication.

A private and confidential report commissioned by patients or their families for educational and information purposes.

The report may have a series of questions extremely relevant for patients to have addressed as they navigate their healthcare journey.

If you know of anyone who's likely to end up in a hospital or an ICU, we are good people to talk to.