Nov 30, 2013

1st December 2013 -----WORLD AIDS DAY 2013


World AIDS Day 2013 Theme  is “Shared Responsibility: Strengthening Results for an AIDS-Free Generation.”


Every year, on the 1st of December is  marked to commemorate those we have lost to AIDS.On the eve of World AIDs Day 2013 Makro Foundation shows solidarity for people lost due to AIDS and  reflects on hope – hope for a generation free of AIDS. We would like to reflect not only on those who lives have been lost, but also those whose lives have been saved. 

Look at HIV Extimate in India.
Based on the HIV Estimation 2012, India has demonstrated an overall reduction of 57% in the annual new HIV infections (among adult population) from 2.74 lakhs in 2000 to 1.16 lakhs in 2011. The adult HIV prevalence has decreased from 0.41% in 2001 to 0.27% in 2011. Also, the estimated number of people living with HIV has decreased from 24.1 lakh in 2000 to 20.9 lakhs in 2011. Wider access to ART has resulted in 29% reduction in estimated annual deaths due to AIDS related causes between 2007 and 2011. It is estimated that around 1.5 lakhs lives have been saved due to ART till 2011.(UNDP)

For the first time one can see an end to an epidemic that has wrought such staggering devastation around the world. For the first time we can say that we are beginning to control the epidemic and not that the epidemic is controlling us.
But make no mistake, stigma, denial and complacency are still among us, putting us in danger of failing the next generation. We must join our hearts and our voices––together we are stronger and route for zero new HIV infections, zero people dying of AIDS—and all people living with dignity and without fear of discrimination. 

Makro Foundation wishes for a world free from the burden of AIDS and as a nation we have to work more towards creating a stigma free society. Makro Foundation  pledges  “STOP DISCRIMINATION KEEP THE PROMISE” .

HIV infection causes a lot of stress and depression and also leads to suicide. If you know anyone who is stressed due to HIV you can refer for free counselling at Makro Foundation call center-040-46004600.

Makro Foundation is an organisation working for promotion of Positive Mental and Emotional Health.For details log on to:www.makrofoundation.org

Oct 8, 2013

Cycle of Mental Health--Thought Process Model...



Promotion of Positive Mental Health amongst Older People on 10th October 2013


October 10th, 2013 is World Mental Health Day. This year WHO has declared the theme for the day as "Mental Health and Older Adults”,  hence Makro Foundation is raising an awareness that Mental Health  during old age can be managed.

World Mental Health Day was initiated by World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) in 1992 to highlight the importance of mental health.

What are the risks of Mental Health in Older Years of Life
·         Older adults are particularly at risk of social and financial isolation and financial difficulty that can negatively affect physical and mental health of older people.
·         Older adults are vulnerable to neglect and isolation
·         Chronic physical illness like blood pressure, diabetes, stroke increase the risk of depression among older adults.
·         Commonly they suffer from Dementia and Depression

Symptoms of Depression include: Persistent Sadness, low energy, and difficulty in normal functioning.(7% of older people suffer from Depression)

Symptoms of Dementia: Includes forgetfulness, confusion and change in behavior(Dementia affects 5% of older people)
Promotion Positive Mental Health -----------------If you have elders in family:

1.      Take care of them
2.      Help them maintain relationship with friends,family, community.
3.      Have regular check up with physician.
4.      Take care of physical and mental emotional health.
5.      Promote Healthy Ageing...
6.      Balanced Diet, Sleep, Exercise, Meditation, Yoga, Positive Thought..

FOR SEEKING   PSYCHOLOGICAL OR COUNSELLING SERVICES FREE OF COST:

CALL US AT 040 - 4600 4600 between 10:00 am-7:00 pm Monday- Friday
Write to us at: info@makrofoundation.org 
Makro Foundation is an organization that works for Promotion of Positive Mental and Emotional Health.

Aug 12, 2013

Information about Suicide Prevention Week 2013..





Makro Foundation (MaFo) is promoting the worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicide by organizing a weeklong awareness program from “1st September 2013- 10th September 2013” to mark the World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September 2013.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the world, especially among young people. Nearly one million people worldwide die by suicide each year. This corresponds to one death by suicide every 40 seconds. More than one lakh persons (1,35,445) in the country lost their lives by committing suicide during the year 2012.

 A large proportion of people who die by suicide suffer from mental illness. Recent estimates suggest that the disease burden caused by mental illnesses will account for 25% of the total disease burden in the world in the next two decades, making it the most important category of ill-health (more important than cancer or heart diseases).
 Yet a significant number of those with mental illnesses who die by suicide do not contact health or social services near the time of their death. In many instances there are insufficient services available to assist those in need at times of crisis (WHO,2012)

 This lack of access to appropriate care is one of the many factors that magnify the stigma associated with mental illness and with suicidal ideation and behaviour. This type of stigma, which is deeply rooted in most societies, can arise for different reasons. One of the causes of stigma is a simple lack of knowledge – that is, ignorance.

The objective is to raise Awareness on: “Stigma A Major Barrier for Suicide Prevention”    to Prevent Death through Suicide.

Suicide prevention is about supporting the development of coping skills and resiliency, and it’s about reconnecting to our culture, our families, our communities, and ourselves. Mental illnesses have been stigmatized. People don’t talk about them for fear of being ridiculed.

World Suicide Prevention Day is marked globally on September 10 each year. The international theme for 2013 is " Stigma A Major Barrier for Suicide Prevention”    .  It is more than a day about suicide prevention. It is a day to celebrate life, to remind everyone why we should all value our lives as people, and “We need to encourage each other that anything is possible, that the darkest of times never last, and to remember that there’s light at the end of the tunnel

The day was first marked in 2003, when the International Association for Suicide Prevention and the World Health Organization designated September 10.

It is important to shatter the stigma on mental illness and make sure everybody knows it’s OK to talk about it, to get help, and to embrace life.

The event is planned in two phases
1) Online Campaign through Social Networking Sites to promote   Suicide is preventable.
2) Outdoor Events to raise awareness about Depression, Suicide and its Prevention

Outcome: The series of events is organized is to raise awareness through Collaboration and partnerships between communities, practitioners, research and industry about suicide being a   major preventable cause of premature death.

Makro Foundation has been organising the Suicide Prevention Walk  since 2009.. for details about the event log on to:

2012-Suicide Prevention Week
2011-Suicide Prevention Week
2010-Suicide Prevention Week


FACT SHEET ABOUT SUICIDE 2012..

 Stigma A Major Barrier for Suicide Prevention
 "World Suicide Prevention Week from 1st   September 2013- 10 th September 13”

FACT SHEET OF SUICIDE STATISTICS 2012 (NCRB)  Suicide is the act of intentionally or deliberately terminating one's own life i.e. Suicide occurs when a person ends his/her life. Suicide is amongst the top 10 causes of Death in India.
  • 15 Suicides took place every one hour during the year 2012. 371 Suicides per day.
  • 242 Suicides by Male per day
  • 129 Suicides by Female per day out of which 60 were House-wives.
  • 140 Suicides per day in the age group 0-29 years
  • 135 Suicides per day in the age group 30-44 years.
  • 105 Suicides per day in the age group 45 years & above.
  • More than one lakh persons (1,35,445) in the country lost their lives by committing suicide during the year 2012.
  • It is observed that social and economic causes have led most of the males to commit suicides whereas emotional and personal causes have mainly driven females to end their lives.
  • The overall male : female ratio of suicide victims for the year 2012 was 65:35. However, the proportion of boys : girls suicide victims (upto 14 years of age) was 49:51.
  •  Nearly 71.6% of the suicide victims were married males while 67.9% were married females.
  • Tamil Nadu (12.5%), Maharashtra (11.9%), West Bengal (11.0%), Andhra Pradesh (10.5%) and Karnataka (9.4%), togather contributed 55.3% of total suicide victims.
  • Tamil Nadu has reported the highest number of suicide victims (accounting for 12.3%) in 2010, third highest in 2011 (accounting for 11.8%) and highest in 2012 (accounting for 14.0%).
  • The suicide rate in cities (11.9) was slightly higher as compared to all-India suicide rate (11.2).

4th Depression Prevention Walk in Madhapur-Hyderabad on 7th Sep 2013...





Makro Foundation is doing weeklong drive on Suicide Prevention to commemorate 10th September -World Suicide Prevention Day 2013 from 1st September -–10th September 2013.

In this regard we are organizing 4th Depression  Prevention 2 K Walk  on 6th September 2013  from 3:00 pm-6:00 pm. The walk is to show our solidarity towards people affected by suicide and Depression. 

 A Drive against the Discrimination and Stigma attached to suicidal thoughts” through a rally by Volunteers from Makro Foundation and Group alongside the road from YSR Statue Road on the left side and u turn back to the statue towards the next traffic junction from 3:30 pm-5:00 pm.

Makro Foundation has been doing the Suicide and Prevention Walk from 2009 for last 3 years. As enclosure we are attaching the copies of permission letters for your reference.

Event proposed is: 
·         A Walk rally-. Start from YSR Statue Road at the backside of Madhapur and rally would progress towards Hi- tech flyover junction and back.

Awareness at the signals though the volunteer between 5:00 pm-6:00 pm. 30 people who will do a  Pla Card and banner showing at: Madhapur Police Station X Road. 

ALL ARE REQUESTED TO SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY BY JOINING US IN OUR ENDEAVOUR OF REDUCING THIS MENACE CALLED DEPRESSION WHICH IS AFFCETING THE YOUTH..

For registration : email us :aparna.adhikari@makrofoundation.org/rani.doddigar@makrofoundation.org

Jun 20, 2013

LIVE IN RELATIONSHIP—PROS AND CONS


Live-in relation i.e. cohabitation is an arrangement whereby two people decide to live together on a long-term or permanent basis in an emotionally and/or sexually intimate relationship. The term is most frequently applied to couples who are not married.
It is a kind of relationship in which a couple lives together without marrying each other and without any legal or social commitment.

This arrangement is similar to marriage when it comes to the relationship between two individuals living together but there are no rights and obligations on either of the partners

  
Pros of Live in relationship over marriage
  • Freedom: This is the prime benefit of Live in relationship. In this, any of partners neither has to accept any obligations nor has to give up any rights. There is no commitment like marriage; relationship lasts longer if both of them are happy with each other. Live-in relationship offers personal freedom to partners compared to Marriage.
  • Responsibility: There is a very less load of responsibility as compared to marriage. Married people have to manage all the responsibility of family while cohabiters have only their own responsibility.
  • Easy to break-up: It takes a lot of effort and  money: to dissolve a marriage because it is a very strict and unassailable arrangement. Partners have to equally divide debt and family assets, to pay Lawyers and to make arrangements with respect to the children. But cohabiters can break their relation easily.
  • Rehearsal for a married life: Live-in is the perfect rehearsal of a married life. Partners know each other’s common interests and views on money, sex, religion, and politics.
  • Easy to change the partner:  If partners could not satisfy or get bored seeing the same face every morning, then they can pack their bags any day and move out without doing any legal procedure.
  • No legal hassle: There are absolutely no financial complications, complex negotiations or legal hassle like marriages. The arrangements are similar to a dream come true, like have physical relations, live together, and move out when getting bored.
Cons of Live-in Relationships

  • In simple words a live-in relationship leaves nothing to be discovered by the couple post marriage. Routine already sets in between live-in relations and there is anxiety or expectancy left for to be realised after marriage.
  • Because there are no specific laws to deal with the intricacies of live-in relationships in most countries, the incidence of major problems in these cases are on the rise. Many people are duped of their assets in live-in relationships. Cases of verbal and physical abuse are also quite rampant in live-in relationship despite the fact that live-in relations are considered more ‘modern’.
  • A potent disadvantage of live-in relationship is social censure. Because these relationships have not yet been awarded the stamp of social acceptance, they are looked at with scorn. Many couple in live-in relationships prefer to call themselves married fearing rejection. This primarily causes problems in relationships.
  • It is very difficult to move into another relationship after a live-in relationship. Live-in relationships require a lot of time, energy and devotion. The most important fact is that in a live-in relationship two people decide to share their lives. And if such a relationship comes to an end it takes a toll on the mental health of people.
Pros of marriage over Live in relationship
  • Legal and Social recognition: It is the main benefit of marriage. Marriage is sheltered by the law and the society respects the relationship. While in Live in relationship, partners can not get this benefit and they don’t have their clearly defined obligations and rights. It is not fragile like live-in and can not dissolve at any point.
  • Emotional support and commitment: Married people give devotion and fidelity to their partners and they can share all their secrets with each other and also share their savings to buy possessions for the family. Live in relationships can not match the legal rights, social recognition and emotional support that provided by a marriage.
  • Unconditional sacrament: In Marriage, Husband and wife are compliant to each other and they prepare to die for each other so the depth of love is supreme. While Live in relationship is conditional compared to marriage.
  • Children’s development: If parents are cohabiting, then children’s emotional development is poorer compared to married ones. This is literally due to the high risk of parent’s break up. If they break up, the situation becomes complex with respect to their responsibility and custody of children.
  • Physical and sexual abuse: According to some estimates, aggression is at least two times more common among cohabiters then married, so cohabited women have to suffer more from physical and sexual abuse than married women.
  • Relationship with parents: Live in relationships may affect relations with parents. All parents give more support to marriage than the cohabitation. Many Cohabiters loose the support of their parents and family because some families consider that it is morally wrong.
  • Economic equality: Married couples are better in case of economic equality while cohabiters always try to protect their financial futures with separate bank accounts, personnel properties etc.