Social restaurateurs or guardian angels, the organizations SOS Amitié and SOS Suicide are expanding. To raise awareness among as many people as possible, these associations organized a conference at the CUM on Wednesday, February 1st. A child psychiatrist was present. The goal: to explain the suffering of sad, lonely, or depressed individuals and to encourage the public to become volunteer listeners.
At 18 months old, he was already exhibiting severe deep depression. Often left alone, this baby would not eat, and his face bore strained expressions. Taken care of by Professor Martine Myquel, a child psychiatrist at the Lenval Foundation, he recovered after two years. Martine Myquel shares the story of an unloved boy, whose identity is kept confidential to respect professional secrecy. At the age of twelve, he returns for follow-up.
The reason: problems with his father.
However, the real relapse occurred recently. Now 19, this young man has good academic results but smokes cannabis, no longer speaks to his grandmother for fear she might find out, and displays signs of violence—violence against objects, violence against himself. He hits himself, he self-harms. And his distress doesn’t stop there. He declares he can’t manage to establish romantic relationships. Nothing is right. Despite his strong affection for his grandparents, he is only happy in his car. His only true “friend.” Inside, he feels comfortable, he talks. And then another danger appears: he drives fast and takes risks. The child psychiatrist is worried. “We need to be vigilant. Being depressive and having psychological issues, he might commit suicide.”
Loneliness, malaise, depression, suicidal thoughts… these are all feelings that the volunteers of SOS Amitié and SOS Suicide face every day. Trained to listen and speak to distressed people, they are attentive and neutral. No judgment, just attention. Callers must find solutions for themselves. Bernard Laroche, the president of SOS Amitié in Nice, holds these volunteers in high esteem: “Having been in this field for eight years, I am still touched by what they do. Day and night, they are there. These men and women have great human value.” A small gesture for a great cause: to be useful to others, to help them unload their burden.
Sometimes the burden is familial, sometimes social, sometimes professional. Mario Galena, the president of SOS Suicide Phénix in Nice, has observed this. In 2005, 14% of calls were about depression. 10% were about relationship difficulties, and 9% about loneliness. And unfortunately, these have only increased over the last two years. In an individualistic society, social rites are less important. This leads to isolation. At least, this is what this president explains. “The conference title: Alone Among Others, perfectly illustrates this situation.” A memory still marks him: “Many nurses call us. They are afraid to tell those around them that they are not well. With what they see every day, it’s not easy to live with. They need to confide, to vent. It is moving.”
To top it all off, he highlights another point. According to him, “we live in a consumer society.” A coherent remark: “If one cannot buy such and such product, does that mean we are not worth it?” It’s a real problem because many feel excluded. Last year, 26,121 calls were recorded. “That’s considerable. We need to act more.”
Soon in Nice, it will be possible to send messages on the Internet and receive responses. But more volunteers are still needed. A few hours a month suffice to contribute to a good cause. After all, lending an ear is not an impossible task to accomplish.
To become volunteer listeners call:
°SOS Amitié Nice Côte d’Azur: 04.93.26.26.26.
°SOS Suicide Phénix: 04.93.01.22.78.
