. every now and then, we see posts on kurakani where a person talks about suicide/depression/drugs. without exception, these threads become innundated by posters who treat this matter as a joke. take for example, this thread.the originator of the thread might or might not have meant it as a joke. however, that is besides the point. the point is that depression and suicidal thoughts are dangerous, and can happen to a lot of folk. the reasons may be varied one reason is drug-related. transition to a foreign culture accompanied by a lack of family support means that a lot of young people end up making some wrong choices. this leads to a cycle of mental torture where the negativity feeds on itself and may lead to suicidal tendencies or perhaps there is a different reason. we all have our own demons. very often, people in mental stress do not realize that there is a way out of the cycle, that there is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel. a big factor is that they do not know where they can turn to for help to get them through this crisis. often, they feel lost, that the whole world is conspiring against them. they long for support and understanding, for someone who will listen to them. sometimes, this cry for help manifests itself as a post on sajha. it is, after all, a network of nepali folk, and however tenuous a web it is, it is still a web. i know this because while i was going through a similar phase, i turned to sajha. when this happens, we owe it to these people to refrain from cracking insensitive jokes. i remember that there used to be a usergroup on sajha for depression related issues. i dont know what has become of it. i was wondering if there are people out there who would sincerely like to help folk get through the awful agony that is depression and suicidal thoughts. i was proposing to set up a 'sanctuary' of folks who are supportive rather than disdainful. if such a group ever materializes, it wouldnt be a counselling group be any stretch of the imagination. we wouldnt try to act dr. phil. i was imagining perhaps a group that, through personal testimony, attempt to provide others evidence that one can break out of the cycle, that a better life is possible. point folk towards services that could help them get through their person crisis. a group that would provide support and understanding. god knows i could have used such support. if any of you are interested in setting up such a group, please email me i can be reached at ajaya.panday@gmail.com